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  • Thunderbirds announce 2018 officer selections

    Gen. Mike Holmes, the commander of Air Combat Command, has officially selected the officers who will be joining the United States Air Force Thunderbirds for the 2018 demonstration season.

  • Arresting cable mission stands ready to save lives

    The Airmen in the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron power production shop are unsung heroes. Nobody thinks about the constant, never-ending generator mission until the grid power goes down. The fleet of light carts is overlooked until night operations occur. The arresting cable mission

  • Foreign-born Airmen deploy, live their American dream

    The Air Force is proud of its diversity, providing Airmen the opportunity to live and visit places they never would imagine going and working with people from all walks of life. Two Airmen, who are deployed to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, as part of the 451st Expeditionary Support Squadron, are

  • 4 FW's greatest heroes: McKennon, Green – The rescue

    The history of the 4th Fighter Wing includes many stories of great wingmen, including the incomparable team of Don Gentile and John Godfrey in World War II. By adjusting their tactics and working closely together in the air combat duels over Europe, they became two of the highest scoring American

  • Enlisted RPA pilots soar to new heights

    The Air Force’s first three Enlisted Pilot Initial Class graduates are slated to complete their final phase of training requirements in July at Beale Air Force Base, California.

  • Holloman AFB Airman named Fighter Instructor Pilot of the Year

    One of Holloman’s Airmen, Maj. John R. Widmer, 314th Fighter Squadron flight commander and an F-16 instructor pilot, was named the Air Force’s Fighter Instructor Pilot of the Year. The award is designed to recognize fighter pilots and weapon systems officers’ commitment, performance, leadership and

  • Around the Air Force: June 29

    On this look around the Air Force, a new parachute canopy is tested for the ACES II ejection seat, squadron revitalization teams visit Scott AFB, and special duty changes are coming.

  • Foreign pilots fly high in exchange program at JB Charleston

    Foreign exchange programs across the globe allow students from a secondary school or university to study abroad and are fairly well known. However, some might not be aware of the foreign pilot exchange program the Air Force implemented in 1998.

  • Block 5 MQ-9 debuts in combat

    The latest version of the MQ-9 Reaper, the Block 5 variant, flew its first successful combat mission June 23, 2017, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

  • From cadets to colonels: Wingmen for life

    Filing into a barber shop in 1989, a group of college freshmen prepare for the Cadet Corps program at Texas A&M University, College Station by receiving the traditional rites during their transition from civilian to military: a buzz cut.Physical training, formations and university classrooms were

  • Healing from invisible wounds: The other side of the story

    Chanda D’Angelo was in a frenzy; she quickly washed all the clothes in her home, zoomed the vacuum across every floor, wiped down every surface, cleaned out the refrigerator and stove and scrubbed the windows and mirrors until they were spotless. Exhausted, she had just enough time to get her hair

  • Bomber Squadron marks 100 years of history

    Carrying out vital missions for over 100 years, the 23rd Bomb Squadron and the associated aircraft maintenance units continue to play a critical role in delivering combat airpower.

  • Around the Air Force: June 26

    On this look around the Air Force, the historic 6thWeapons Squadron is reactivated, Saber Strike 2017 wraps up and tuition assistance is available for civil service PHD candidates.

  • Test team looks at new parachute for ACES II ejection seat

    EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AFNS) -- Members of the 418th Flight Test Squadron are testing a new parachute canopy for the Advanced Concept Ejection Seat II. Testers are collecting data on the GR7000 parachute, which has been proposed to replace the current C-9 canopy used in the ACES II ejection

  • AETC announces changes to developmental special duty assignments

    Air Force officials are making three substantial changes to the developmental special duty process that will significantly improve the Air Force’s ability to fill these important positions by adding more flexibility to the process and increasing opportunities for NCOs.

  • Airman looks to sister for re-enlistment ceremony

    An ophthalmic technician in the 88th Medical Group didn’t choose to be sworn in by her unit commander when she was ready to re-enlist. Instead, she turned to a family member – her younger sister.The re-enlistment ceremony for Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Stem was held June 19, 2017, in the auditorium of the

  • ICBM Country: Hill AFB workers play key role in future of strategic defense

    The Air Force is responsible for two legs of the U.S. strategic nuclear triad, intercontinental ballistic missiles and bombers. Airmen, civilian employees and contractors at Hill AFB are working hard to provide that strategic ICBM need by overseeing the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, the

  • F-35 makes historic appearance at Paris Air Show

    The U.S. made history when two F-35A Lightning IIs arrived at the Paris Air Show to fly the aircraft's first public aerial demonstrations June 19 – 25, 2017. Pulling off a historic event such as this takes months of careful planning and preparation. This team had only 36 days to make it happen.

  • 387th ESPTS sustains busiest aerial port in AFCENT

    As one of the busiest aerial ports of debarkation in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility, the 387th Air Expeditionary Group is no stranger to service members and cargo transiting downrange, but it is the 387th Expeditionary Support Squadron that is charged with sustaining that

  • Magazine Day at Pentagon showcases Airmen, innovation

    In the three years since its inception, the Air Force’s Magazine Day has cultivated relationships and strengthened interaction with media outlets to help spark future story ideas highlighting the innovation, courage and dedication of Airmen.

  • U.S., NATO wrap up Saber Strike 17

    Saber Strike 17, a month-long exercise including 11,000 U.S. and NATO military members from 20 countries, wraps up June 24.The exercise took place in various regions in the Baltics and Poland beginning May 28.

  • Air Force Medicine: Anytime, anywhere in the world

    SILVER SPRING, MD. (AFNS) -- The U.S. Air Force Medical Service assures that the service deploys a medically-fit force and educates airmen to become medical professionals, according to Chief Master Sgt. David J. Little, the Office of the Air Force Surgeon General Chief of medical operations and

  • US, Japan partnerships guarantee critical care

    Once a patient is deemed incapable of receiving care at Misawa Air Base due to medical constraints, the 35th Medical Support Squadron aeromedical evacuation team engineers an expedited mobility plan utilizing Pacific Air Forces assets to relocate the patient for critical care attention.

  • Cleared hot: When predators and reapers engage

    Following the mission brief and pre-flight checks, an aircrew consisting of an officer pilot in command and a career enlisted aviator sensor operator observe a target in an area of responsibility overseas from a cockpit in the U.S. and waits for the green light from a joint terminal attack

  • 386th AEW deliver critical supplies to frontlines

    SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) --“We aim for first pass success. One pass, one drop,” said Maj. Josh Linden, the 386th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron chief of tactics, as he described the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing’s airdrop mission. The 386th AEW conducted several combat airdrop missions over

  • The unbroken bond: MWDs defend coalition, secure base borderline

    Military working dogs are among the unsung heroes of the military and play an important role from therapy dogs supporting service members and veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder to military working dogs supporting operations on and off the battlefield. In the Air Force, their

  • Airmen persevere worldwide, accomplish mission

    In 1966, author Geoffrey Blainey coined the phrase “tyranny of distance,” metaphorically referring to how distance and isolation shaped the history of one of earth’s most intriguing continents, Australia.Today, members of the Air Force Technical Applications Center here are subjected to the tyranny

  • Froehlichs receive O’Malley Award

    Col. Eric Froehlich, the former 377th Air Base Wing commander, and his wife, Stephanie, were awarded the Air Force 2017 General and Mrs. Jerome O’Malley Award June 15 at Kirtland Air Force Base.The O’Malley Award is given to the wing commander and spouse whose contributions to the nation, Air Force

  • Luke AFB to resume local F-35A flying operations

    The 56th Fighter Wing will resume local F-35A Lightning II flight operations June 21, 2017, following an 11-day pause after five physiological events occurred during flights from May 2-June 8, 2017.

  • 386 AEW mental health team builds bonds, shatters stigmas

    It can start with a simple conversation. “How are you?” “Yeah, I bet you see some crazy stuff at your job.” “That must have been really hard for you to process.” What at first seems like a run-of-the-mill conversation, stemming from a friendly visit, is more than meets the eye. It is a check-in. It

  • Son continues family military legacy, works alongside father at Dobbins

    A new pilot here has a particularly special memory from Father’s Day last year. While he was attending C-130 pilot training at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, his father came to visit. His father is no stranger to Little Rock AFB, he also attended training there as a young aviator and was

  • Air Force fighter pilots of the year announced

    The Air Force announced the recipients of the 2016 Air Force Fighter Annual Awards in May 2017.The award is designed to recognize fighter pilots and weapon systems officers’ commitment, performance, leadership and aviation skills that were instrumental to mission success of their units, the U.S. Air

  • Honoring a legacy of 100 years

    ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. (AFNS)--Bringing the past to the present, honoring 100 years of heritage, the 34th and 37th Bomb Squadrons and associated aircraft maintenance units have always played a significant role in the nation’s defense - a heritage stemming from World War I that has only

  • Fighter wings successfully field test F-35A ammunition loader

    The 388th Fighter Wing, the Air Force’s first F-35 Lightning II operational wing, recently received five F-35A bulk ammunition loaders for field use.Airmen extensively tested one of the loaders June 6-9, 2017, during an engineering validation and verification evaluation here.

  • US, Iraqi air forces recover, return pallets to DOD system

    BAGHDAD (AFNS) -- Air transportation specialists assigned to the 370th Air Expeditionary Air Advisory Group began recovering more than $2.1 million in U.S. Air Force aerial port assets from Iraqi air force counterparts.Aerial porters at the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center have recovered more than

  • Air Force realigns Grand Forks AFB under ACC

    The Air Mobility Command and Air Combat Command commanders have agreed to the realignment of the 319th Air Base Wing, Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota to ACC effective June 13, 2017.

  • First MQ-9 squadron looks good for 100

    From training to operational--bombers to remotely piloted aircraft, the Panthers of the 42nd Attack Squadron have been a key part of United States airpower for the past 100 years. On June 13, 2017, the squadron celebrates its centennial anniversary with a lineage as the 42nd Aero Squadron, part of

  • Healing from invisible wounds

    On Jan. 15, 2008, Senior Airman Christopher D’Angelo, a heavy equipment operator, was the lead gunner in an armored vehicle convoy on a road near Baghdad. The sun was shining and the air comfortable. His unit had just transported construction materials to forward operating bases and was currently

  • Ambulance in the sky

    There was a joint training mission conducted June 7, 2017, where the 910th Airlift Wing provided a C-130, the 914th AW provided a pilot and the 445th AES provided the training crew.

  • 'Voice' winner launching AF tour

    Sundance Head, the winner of NBC’s “The Voice” season 11, is ready and eager to bring his original soul country music to Air Force audiences.As part of its initiative to bring quality entertainment to Airmen and their families, the Air Force Services Activity was just as eager to sign the Texas

  • Third generation pilot graduates at CAFB

    When one Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 17-10 graduate pinned on his Air Force wings, June 9, 2017, he became the third generation of Air Force fighter pilots in his family.

  • 386th AEW Honor Guard braves the elements, honors the past

    “The level in which I perform will never be dictated by the type of ceremony, the severity of the temperature, nor the size of the crowd.” This, the fifth line of the honor guard creed, takes on a significant meaning in a location where triple-digit heat is common. It was the stern reminder used by

  • Luke AFB temporarily cancels F-35A local flying ops

    The 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, cancelled local flying operations today for F-35A Lightning II aircraft due to a series of five incidents in which pilots have experienced hypoxia-like symptoms.

  • Fighting against violence in the KMC

    Interpersonal violence can happen to anyone. It not only affects the people it happens to, but also those around them. Potential assailants may target someone’s friend, relative, colleague, or even themselves, hurling roadblocks into the missions of their units. Airmen and civilians in the

  • Georgia ANG engages with Colombian Air Force

    The Georgia Air National Guard welcomed a group of visiting Colombian Air Force officers as part of a State Partnership Program engagement, May 30 - June 2, 2017. The weeklong exchange on Ground Control Intercept consisted of a tour of the unit and discussions with subject matter experts on how to

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • From the ground up

    Some people dream of becoming a fighter pilot, while others dream of becoming a military special operator.Very few people make both dreams come true.Second Lt. Andrew Dane, a 47th Flying Training Wing pilot graduate and former Tactical Air Control Party special operator, will be able to see both

  • 68th Rescue Flight transitions to 68th Rescue Squadron

    As one of the only human based weapon systems in the Air Force, Guardian Angel must have highly trained personnel dedicated to the Air Force core function of personnel recovery. Guardian Angel is comprised of combat rescue officers, pararescuemen, and survival, evasion, resistance, and escape

  • AMC pursues fuel efficiency initiatives

    From electronic flight bags (EFB) to flight management system modifications, Air Mobility Command Airmen are contributing innovative and cost-saving ways to enhance the command’s fuel efficiency.

  • CENTCOM EOD teams link up for joint service field training

    Explosive ordnance disposal teams from across the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility participated in a weeklong joint field training exercise May 22 to May 26, 2017, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.

  • Hurricane Hunters take part in Navy operational demonstration

    While their typical mission is gathering weather data for the National Hurricane Center, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters” spent May 30 to June 1, 2017, providing weather information for the Navy’s first Gulf of Mexico oceanography unmanned systems operational

  • Air Force announces significant changes to Aviation Bonus Program

    As part of its retention efforts, the Air Force released details on the fiscal year 2017 Aviation Bonus Program (AvB) June 5, 2017. This year’s program implements an increase in maximum bonus amounts authorized in the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act in addition to more flexibility in

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • 40th HS rescues two missing hikers

    The 40th Helicopter Squadron saved two girls and their dog from the Sluice Boxes State Park about 30 miles southeast of Great Falls May 30, 2017.

  • Finding a way to win

    It was a temperate day at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan when Lt. Col. Craig Andrle and his wingman, Capt. Adam Fuhrmann, began walking across the flightline to their soon-to-be airborne F-16CM Fighting Falcons.

  • 68th Annual Arthur S. Flemming Award winners announced

    Air Force officials are pleased to announce the three recipients of the 68th Annual Arthur S. Flemming Award. The three distinguished winners are scheduled to be honored by the award commission at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

  • Arctic Challenge exercise aims to increase interoperability

    Twelve F-15C Eagles and about 200 personnel from the 493rd Fighter Squadron at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, and two KC-135 Stratotankers and over 30 personnel from the 351st Air Refueling Squadron at RAF Mildenhall, England, deployed to bases in Finland and Sweden for exercise Arctic

  • Dunford urges new AF officers to lead in Academy graduation address

    While the new officers of the U.S. Air Force Academy's Class of 2017 must never stop learning, it's time to lead, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said at graduation ceremonies in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford thanked the 979 graduates for answering the call to

  • Air defense exercise hones air-intercept skills

    Aircrews and associated support personnel from across the military air-defense enterprise are here for a three-day Aerospace Control Alert CrossTell live-fly training exercise from May 23-25, 2017.

  • All in a night’s work: MQ-9s maximize airpower downrange

    As many Americans sleep soundly in their beds, Airmen in attack squadrons across the 432nd Wing flying the MQ-1B Predator and MQ-9 Reaper from cockpits in the continental U.S. are having decisive effects in the fight against violent extremism. In combat operations last week, one MQ-9 squadron stood

  • Airmen stop woman from jumping off bridge

    What started as an ordinary day for three Airmen from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, soon turned into anything but ordinary.Their quick reaction and application of the Air Force’s wingman concept saved a life May 10, 2017.

  • AF proposes 1,600 personnel increase to command support staffs

    The Air Force plans to increase commander support staff manning across the force by 1,600 by fiscal year 2022 increasing total authorizations to more than 6,300. Currently, the personnel increase calls for 170 officers, 469 enlisted and 961 civilians with all civilian hires authorized for fiscal

  • AF presents fiscal year 2018 budget

    The Air Force presented its fiscal year 2018 president's budget request May 23, 2017, following the Defense Department and sister services’ budget briefings.

  • US, Israeli airmen fortify airlift capabilities

    Two C-130J Super Hercules along with about 80 Airmen attached to the 86th Airlift Wing from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, deployed to Israel in support of exercise Juniper Falcon from May 7-18, 2017.

  • EOD disposes unserviceable munitions in Southwest Asia

    A group of EOD technicians, ammunition personnel and firefighters from the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing worked together to dispose of the truckload of unserviceable ordnance in a safe manner in Southwest Asia May 11, 2017. The disposal included close to 8,000 ordnance items and 1,000 pharmaceutical

  • Dragon Lady makes historic appearance at Northern Edge

    Looking across the flightline at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson during previous Northern Edge exercises you would have seen a mass of gray and white aircraft, but this year the distinctly black U-2S Dragon Lady from Beale Air Force Base, California, made its presence known for the first time at

  • 386th AEW navigator commission’s daughter on graduation day

    Now a newly minted second lieutenant, Brittany Peters was set to graduate the ROTC program at the University of North Carolina, and commission into the North Carolina Army National Guard. While deployed to Southwest Asia, Bret Peters made sure he had the technology to swear-in his daughter, via