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U.S. Air Force News

  • Space superiority remains vital to national security

    Gen. William Shelton, Air Force Space Command commander, highlighted a successful satellite launch to the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on strategic forces during a budget hearing for national security space activities, April 3.

  • Test Pilot School team proves how 'a dummy' can save money

    In an Air Force setting that is locked on being financially-conscious and proactive under the current financial challenges, the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, at the request of the 418th Flight Test Squadron, is working with the squadron through the implementation of the school's Test Management

  • Acting Deputy Defense Secretary talks budget, urges innovation

    Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense Christine H. Fox spoke at Air University's Air War College about budget constraints and sequestration in relation to the Air Force's role in the Department of Defense, the importance of technology and innovation April 3.

  • AFPC has expanded voluntary FM program waiver authority

    The Air Force Personnel Center has been granted expanded waiver authority to waive some active duty service commitments, or ADSCs, for Airmen interested in voluntary separation under the fiscal year 2014 force management program, AFPC officials announced April 3.

  • 'Super Galaxy' fleet complete at Dover

    From the Galaxy to Super Galaxy, Dover's armada of C-5M Super Galaxies is finally complete. Lt. Gen. Brooks L. Bash, Air Mobility Command vice commander, delivered its 18th and final C-5M Super Galaxy, tail number 87-0040, April 2, at 1:30 p.m., here.

  • April 3 - Pulse on AF force management

    Beginning April 3, regular force management updates will be published at www.af.mil, including program updates, reports on voluntary program applications received at AFPC and changes to program eligibility.

  • Air Force improving its energy security

    The Air Force is the largest consumer of energy in the federal government, with 86 percent of its energy costs dedicated to aviation fuel, according to Kathleen Ferguson, the principal deputy assistant secretary performing duties as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment

  • Air Force leaders lay out budget priorities, concerns

    Air Force leaders testified April 2, before the Senate Appropriations Committee on their service’s top priorities now and for the future.Joined by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and National Guard leaders and Air Force Reserve leadership, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James

  • Air Force leaders insist new tanker is key to airpower

    The top three acquisition priorities for the Air Force are the KC-46A aerial tanker, the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter and the Long Range Strike Bomber, officials told members of Congress during a hearing of House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on seapower and projections forces, April 2.

  • Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Flight 19 launch

    The Air Force successfully launched the 19th Defense Meteorological Satellite Program or, DMSP, spacecraft at 7:46 a.m. PDT, April 3, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The satellite was carried aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle.

  • 2014 Hennessy Award winners announced

    Air Force Personnel Center officials recently announced the best food service programs in the Air Force with the selection of the 2014 John L. Hennessy Award for food service excellence.

  • Physical training uniform shortages through summer

    There will be a shortage of improved physical training uniform, or IPTU, pants and jackets this spring and summer. Air Force uniform program officials expect a full stock of IPTU pants and jackets to be available for Airmen to purchase by Oct. 1.

  • Air Force Military Athlete of the Year selections due April 30

    Nominations for the Air Force Military Athlete of the Year are due April 30, said Air Force Personnel Center officials. The program allows the Air Force to recognize outstanding male and female athletes and highlight their athletic performance and accomplishments throughout the last year.

  • myPers is one-stop shop for civilian personnel support

    myPers, the Air Force official online source for personnel policy, information and day-to-day transactions, empowers civilian employees to manage their careers."This resource can save employees an infinite amount of time by providing direct online access to answers and valuable information about

  • Air Force officials take tactical aviation strategy to Capitol Hill

    Air Force officials said on Capitol Hill during a hearing March 26 that while the Bipartisan Budget Act has provided greater stability for technology and acquisition, “hard choices” must continue to maintain current readiness and prime the force over the next 10-15 years.

  • Initial phase of Joint STARS effort begins

    The Air Force's Joint STARS recapitalization effort is taking off as a Hanscom AFB-led team moves toward replacing the aging fleet and beefing up its ability to detect threats, process data and distribute information.

  • CSAF: Budget cuts affect combatant commands

    Painful budget reductions will reduce the future capabilities of combatant commanders, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III told Congress here March 26. Testifying alongside Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee's defense

  • From Chinese citizen to American Airman

    After spending the first 20 years of his life in the capital of one of the largest cities in the Fujian province in China, U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Xing Zheng is now a 633rd Civil Engineering Squadron engineer technician

  • Airmen destroy BLAC ICE

    The 435th Contingency Response Group recently joined security forces from Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany for a training course on tactical leadership.

  • USO offers support to grieving families

    In line with their long-standing tradition of supporting the troops and their families, the USO provides care for families of the fallen who travel to Dover Air Force Base, Del.

  • SecAF wraps up Afghanistan tour

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited multiple Air Force units at five bases in Afghanistan, March 19-22. This is her first official visit outside the United States since being appointed in December 2013.

  • Developmental education application windows open in March

    Eligible active duty officers and Department of the Air Force appropriated fund civilian employees can apply beginning in March for intermediate and senior developmental education opportunities, Air Force Personnel Center officials said March 24.

  • Fit to fight or fighting to get fit?

    March is typically focused on the madness of college basketball or growing a fabulous mustache. But it's also a time to watch both what's on the table during your favorite team's game or on the verge of getting caught in that carefully groomed crumb catcher.

  • Transportation official urges planning before PCS moves

    With warmer weather comes peak moving season, so when orders are in hand, people should plan ahead to ensure the most hassle-free relocation, a senior official who oversees personal property moves for military families said in a recent interview.

  • AF undersecretary headlines F-35 unveiling at Luke AFB

    Luke Air Force Base celebrated the arrival of its first F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter with an unveiling ceremony here March 14. The event was attended by approximately 500 people, including elected officials, community leaders, representatives from partner nation air forces and many Luke

  • Medical teams convene to consider applicants for command

    Medical corps development teams will convene in May and June to select eligible lieutenant colonels for squadron command candidacy for projected calendar year 2015 vacancies, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

  • Five selected for 2015 Olmsted scholarships

    Five Air Force officers have been selected to participate in the Olmsted Scholar Program, sponsored by the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation, Air Force Personnel Center officials said March 20.

  • AF physician assistant named ‘PA of Year’

    It was her first year working as a physician assistant, and a patient had just left her exam room when she heard a burst of gunshots in the distance. Within seconds, screams filled the hospital as people scrambled for cover. In the midst of the chaos, a piercing silence fell over the clinic and her

  • SecAF shares 'way ahead' with USAFE Airmen

    For her first stop during her first overseas trip as the Secretary of the Air Force, Deborah Lee James toured Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and spoke with U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Airmen March 17.

  • AF recruiter helps build Afghan forces

    Deployed as an adviser with the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing/NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan Senior Master Sgt. Carmelo Vega Martinez, a Ponce, Puerto Rico native is the only Air Force recruiter deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

  • CSAF: Every budget decision hurts

    The Air Force’s fiscal 2015 budget request was built to ensure its combat power remains unequaled, Welsh told members of the House Armed Services Committee.

  • SecAF addresses budget challenges in Congress

    Newly-appointed Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James wanted to see the Air Force in action, so she spent her first 11 weeks on the job visiting 18 bases in 13 states, she told members of the House Armed Services Committee March

  • Changes coming to deployed Airman pay

    Starting June 1, Airmen deployed to several locations will see significant changes to pay programs. The biggest change includes the discontinuation of imminent danger pay, or IDP, in multiple countries.

  • Air Force welcomes four-legged lieutenant

    Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Air Force Chief of Staff, visited Walter Reed Bethesda to commission a four-legged second lieutenant into the Air Force dog therapy program on March 12.

  • Environmental cleanup status now a click away

    In the past, getting details on the environmental cleanup progress at an Air Force installation typically called for a drive to the base or local library to flip through pages of documentation. Today, with the help of a new online system, administrative record documents are now available

  • ‘Transition GPS’ helps troops re-enter civilian world

    Feedback on “Transition GPS,” which prepares service members to enter the civilian workforce, indicates it improves on the program it replaced, the director of the Defense Department’s Transition to Veterans Program office said here March 11.

  • AF undersecretary: Budget uncertainty worries Airmen

    Airmen are worried about budgetary uncertainty, and service leaders pledge to be transparent about priorities and programs available as the service moves forward, Air Force Undersecretary Eric Fanning said here March 11.Speaking to the Defense Writers Group, Fanning told reporters he has heard from

  • Air Force officials announce FY15 force structure changes

    Air Force officials released force structure changes today resulting from the Fiscal Year 2015 President’s Budget announced March 4.To ensure the service successfully transitions to a leaner force that remains ready, the Air Force plans to remove almost 500 aircraft across the inventories of all

  • CSAF, CMSAF visit Altus AFB

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody and their spouses, Betty and Athena, spent two days here to tour the installation and meet Airmen and their families March 5 and 6. Welsh also served as keynote speaker at the Altus Chamber of Commerce

  • Department of Energy seeks award nominations

    Each year the U.S. Department of Energy sponsors the Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. These awards honor individuals and organizations making significant contributions to the efficient use of energy and water in the federal government. The Air Force looks to stay on top, having won 21

  • Dogs help vets cope with PTSD, trauma

    Though she was home, Capt. Mary McGriff felt no comfort. She was alone but anxious, quiet but uneasy. She felt no safety behind locked doors. The doctor's words rang fresh in her mind, behind splintered memories of her 2005 deployment to Iraq.

  • Enrollment for free CCAF-credit culture course now open

    The Air Force Culture and Language Center is now accepting applications for the spring 2014 session of "Introduction to Culture."The ITC course is entirely online, self-paced and is offered at no charge to enlisted active duty Airmen, Air Force reservists or Air National guardsmen enrolled in

  • Program executive officer describes F-35 progress

    Progress remains steady in the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter’s operational testing, reprogramming, fueling, and stand-up training, the F-35 program executive officer told an audience at Aviation Week’s Defense Technologies and Requirements Conference here March 4.

  • AF nuclear enterprise: 'the way forward'

    The Senate Armed Service Committee’s Subcommittee on Strategic Forces heard testimonies from key defense and military leaders on nuclear forces and policies in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2015 and the Future Years Defense Program during a hearing, March 5.

  • Air Force medical educational websites win bronze

    The Air Force Center of Excellence for Medical Multimedia, or CEMM, recieved a Bronze Telly award for their Pregnancy A to Z and Wingman Online websites during the 35th Annual Telly Awards recently.

  • Chaplain visits raise morale of missile field Airmen

    For Airmen who work in the missile field here, the hours are long, the workload can be heavy and the location is remote. Recently the chapel here implemented a program here to bridge the gap between the solitude of life in the field and Malmstrom AFB.

  • Air Force focuses on sustainability for Earth Day 2014 observance

    Each year Air Force installations around the world observe Earth Day on April 22 by taking actions to support the Air Force's Earth Day theme of "Conserve Today - Secure Tomorrow."This year, Air Force activities will focus on sustainability, referring to the capacity to continue the mission without

  • Retention recommendation forms critical for ERB, QFRB eligibles

    Commanders and senior raters of enlisted Airmen slated to meet the quality force review board in May or an enlisted retention board in June must complete an AF Form 3538E, Enlisted Retention Recommendation Form, for each eligible Airman, Air Force Personnel Center officials said. Completed forms

  • Admin career field to make comeback

    A previous administrative career field will make its second debut across the Air Force in May 2014, providing support staff at all Air Force levels and eliminating a special duty echelon.

  • SecAF discusses Air Force future, budget during defense summit

    Defense industry leaders and analysts received an insight into the proposed Air Force transformation and a preview of the Fiscal Year 2015 Air Force budget during the Bloomberg Government Defense Transformation Spending and Strategy Summit Feb. 26.

  • Getting the word back home has never been easier

    The Joint Hometown News Service launched a new online submission system Feb. 17, making it easier for service members and Department of Defense civilians to publicize achievements such as promotions and decorations, to their local media outlets.

  • Social media: Unwanted eyes may be watching Airmen, families

    Social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr can provide an instantaneous and highly entertaining feedback stream of your daily activities to friends and family. The latest videos of dogs running with fireworks in their mouths, kittens tumbling in the snow or Internet memes of celebrity

  • Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force visits 193rd Special Operations Wing

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody and his wife, retired Chief Master Sgt. Athena Cody, visited the 193rd Special Operations Wing Feb. 22 to 23 to get a firsthand look at the wing's missions at Middletown, Pa., and Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, Pa., and to speak with Airmen and their

  • Academy officer takes the LEAD

    More than six years ago, Airman Lelia Abdulrazaq realized during a combat dining-in that she wanted to become an officer.

  • Hagel outlines budget reducing troop strength, force structure

    Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has proposed cuts in military spending that include further reductions in troop strength and force structure in every military service as part of an effort to prioritize U.S. strategic interests after more than a decade of war.

  • SecAF outlines top priorities during ‘State of AF’ address

    After her second month in office, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James laid out her top three priorities as part of a “state of the Air Force” address, during the final day of the 30th annual Air Force Association Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition Feb. 21.

  • Shelton announces new space situational awareness satellite program

    The commander of Air Force Space Command announced a new satellite program during a speech about the importance of space and cyberspace at the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium and Technology exposition, Feb. 21, here.General William Shelton told the audience about the new Geosynchronous

  • CSAF: Taking care of Airmen, future roadmap key to AF success

    Getting top performing Airmen promoted sooner, changing the EPR system, streamlining the enlisted and officer professional education programs and developing a roadmap for the Air Force for the next three decades were some of the topics discussed by the Air Force’s top officer during the 30th annual

  • GPS IIF-5 successfully launched from Cape Canaveral

    The U. S. Air Force officials successfully launched the fifth Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF satellite carried aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV launch vehicle at 8:59 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., Feb. 20.