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U.S. Air Force News

  • Aircrew flight equipment enables others to succeed

    At any given moment across Southwest Asia, there are aircraft flying in harm’s way to deliver aid, combat air support to friendly forces and launching air strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists. None of them can accomplish that without the aircrew flight equipment flight.

  • LA Air Guard deploys to Bulgaria for NATO training exercise

    The Louisiana Air National Guard's 159th Fighter Wing from Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, is participating in a bilateral flying training deployment with the Bulgarian Air Force at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, April 16-May 5.

  • Joint Warrior: It's what we train for

    They train for air-to-air combat missions, are rapidly deployable, execute worldwide combat search and rescue (CSAR), and sustain operations around the world during both war and peace.

  • Elmendorf Airman named Alaska bodybuilding champion

    Airman 1st Class James Jones, a 673rd Communications Squadron cyber systems operator, participated in the 2015 National Physique Committee Alaska State Championships on April 4. He spent more than a year preparing, chiseling at his physique slowly but surely every day. Hundreds of hours in the gym,

  • Acquisitions enterprise: Agility and people key to reform

    Dr. William LaPlante, assistant secretary of Air Force acquisition, along with the Navy and Army acquisition secretaries testified on acquisition reform before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support, April 22.

  • Medics participate in Ultimate Caduceus 15

    Members of the 22nd Medical Group, and units from across the U.S., participated in Ultimate Caduceus 2015, giving them the opportunity to conduct aeromedical evacuation training, April 16-18, at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Louisiana.

  • AF releases new integrated priority list

    The Air Force released its second comprehensive two-year integrated priority list (IPL) this month.The IPL strategically orders requirements for facility sustainment, restoration, modernization, environmental, energy, dormitory and demolition projects across the Air Force.

  • AFIMSC vice commander speaks at commanders’ school

    The vice commander of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center spoke to a class of Air Force leaders attending the Commanders' Professional Development School at Air University April 20 on how the new center will provide installation and mission support programs and services.

  • AFSPC commander discusses priorities at symposium

    Gen. John E. Hyten, the commander of Air Force Space Command, identified several key actions to be taken to ensure U.S. strength in space for the future during the 2015 Space Symposium April 14.

  • AF celebrates Earth Day by focusing on mission today, tomorrow

    Air Force leaders are reminding Airmen to keep the mission in mind as the Air Force observes the 45th annual Earth Day April 22. The service has encouraged Airmen around the globe to focus on recycling efforts this year, in line with its 2015 theme, “Conserve Today – Secure Tomorrow.”

  • From Colorado to South Korea, 3 generations serving on the peninsula

    Most Airmen arrive at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, with the expectation of seeing new faces and forming new relationships at the start of their yearlong unaccompanied tour. But for a father and son of the Colorado Air National Guard, when they stepped onto the Korean Peninsula, they continued a

  • Cody visits Soto Cano Air Base

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody visited with Airmen during a trip April 13-15, at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras. Cody visited numerous sections within the 612th Air Base Squadron and talked with Airmen on a personal level, holding several face-to-face conversations during his visit.

  • Doolittle Raiders share Congressional Gold Medal with the world

    On April 18, 1942, 80 men inspired a nation by flying 16 B-25 bombers off the deck of the USS Hornet and dropping ordnance on Tokyo. Now, 73 years later, Congress honored these men with the Congressional Gold Medal, presented to the Raiders in Washington D.C., April 15.

  • BLUE: A nuclear family

    This edition features how an intercontinental ballistic missile has the power to change the course of human history – or possibly end it. That is why protecting America’s nuclear arsenal is our nation’s number one defense priority. This episode of BLUE goes behind-the-scenes for a rare look at the

  • Eglin Airman participates in adaptive camp

    Two years after complications from a massive stroke that forced Senior Airman Chris Fugitt to retire from the Air Force, his warrior spirit enabled him to power past a number of debilitating setbacks, to the point where he attended his first adaptive sports and rehabilitation camp here this week.

  • General’s mentorship leads 2nd Lt. back to AF

    Second Lt. Matthew Ruden didn't always plan to stay in the Air Force, but he plans to stay now. Ruden, an acquisitions manager for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's F-15 Eagle Division, will be promoted to first Lieutenant on May 1. Maj. Gen. Tom Masiello, the Air Force Research

  • Take Back the Night 2015: 'Shattering the Silence'

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, along with the first survivor to speak out nationally about date rape, spoke to cadets during the U.S. Air Force Academy's second annual Take Back the Night (TBN) event April 16 at the Academy's Clune Arena in Colorado.

  • Missile alert facility life: 60 feet under

    For 24 hours, two officers are confined 60 feet below a missile alert facility (MAF), to a metal pill no larger than an average bedroom. Containing a vast array of Cold War-era technology, the capsule houses the ability to launch nuclear equipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, with the power

  • Husband, wife tackle first deployment together, support bomber presence

    B-52H Stratofortress teams have been rotating to Andersen Air Force Base for the last 11 years to maintain the U.S. Pacific Command's continuous bomber presence (CBP). Hundreds of Airmen deploy every six months to support this mission that strengthens regional security and stability of the

  • SecAF delivers message of confidence

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James spoke to an audience of military and commercial space professionals, and space enthusiasts at the 31st Annual Space Symposium here, adding to an already familiar message.

  • What it takes to be a boom operator

    Boom operators on an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker have the ability to pump thousands of pounds of fuel to any capable aircraft, thousands of feet above the ground, flying at 200 knots, all while only 47 feet from colliding into each other. However, before any of this is possible, they had to go

  • AF report to Congress: Pursues retention of C-130Js at Keesler

    As part of a required Air Force report to Congress on the C-130 Hercules force structure, the Secretary of the Air Force released a force structure amendment pursuing the retention of 10 Air Force Reserve Command C-130J aircraft at Keesler Air Force Base.

  • 45th Space Wing supports 6th SpaceX re-supply mission

    The 45th Space Wing supported Space Exploration Technologies' (SpaceX) successful launch of their Falcon 9 Dragon spacecraft headed to the International Space Station from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, April 14.

  • AF announces KC-46A candidate bases

    Air Force officials announced April 14 that Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Seymour-Johnson AFB, North Carolina; Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts; and Grissom ARB, Indiana are candidate bases for the first Air Force Reserve-led KC-46A Pegasus location.

  • Initiative provides incremental acquisition improvement

    The basic idea behind the Defense Department’s Better Buying Power initiative, now entering its third iteration, has been to improve acquisition through continuous improvement in many areas simultaneously, the Pentagon’s acquisition chief said here April 13.

  • Kisling NCO Academy recognized as best of best

    The U.S. Air Forces in Europe's Kisling NCO Academy was named the 2014 U.S. Air Force Professional Military Education Team of the Year. This is the fifth time in the past six years they have been recognized for their accomplishments in the development of NATO NCOs.

  • Darkest before dawn

    He can’t recall the details of that fateful afternoon, but Phillip Sisneros, known by most as just “Phil,” was riding his motorcycle in Las Vegas, on his way home from celebrating a coworker’s promotion the night before -- when his life was turned upside down.

  • Q&A with the CMSAF

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody and his wife, retired Chief Master Sgt. Athena Cody, visited Laughlin Air Force Base from March 31 to April 2. During his visit, Cody met with Airmen to discuss morale, welfare, and the future of the Air Force. Before his departure, the 47th Flying

  • Defense Secretary visits Osan AB

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Osan Air Base, April 9, where he held a troop call and briefly spoke about the importance of the United States' role in Asia.

  • SECDEF honors military children at Yokota AB

    In Japan, the secretary held a military family town hall at Yokota Air Base to celebrate April as the Month of the Military Child, established in 1986 by then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger.

  • Second runway increases Bagram capability

    After months of planning and construction, the wing expanded its ability to support flying missions throughout the region with the addition of a second operational runway. The ancillary runway provides an alternate site for aircraft taking off and landing should the primary runway be damaged or

  • AF takes partnership approach to wildland fire management

    The Air Force has taken a new approach to Air Force wildland fire management by maximizing the use of interagency partnerships to address fire management and suppression requirements -- an initiative that is expected to save time and money for all parties involved.

  • CSAF describes Air Force of the future

    In the future, the Air Force’s core missions will probably not change, but the way they are carried out will, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III on April 8.

  • `Swoosh’ welcomed as 334th FS pilot for a day

    He's nine years old, loves basketball, and has a heart as big as his smile.Jeremiah Seaberry, also known by his call sign "Swoosh," was made an honorary member of the 334th Fighter Squadron during a 4th Fighter Wing Pilot for a Day (PFAD) event, April 3.

  • Ready, set, retrograde

    As the United States seeks to lessen its footprint at locations across Southwest Asia, the word retrograde has been on the lips of Department of Defense decision-makers for months. When applied to military operations in Afghanistan, retrograde, which is defined as having a backward motion or

  • AF sexual assault prevention: moving in the right direction

    “I was raised in a household where you take responsibility for your own actions and don’t blame others for your downfalls,” said Tech. Sgt. Kathleen Thorburn. “Instead of seeing a crime that had occurred, all I could see were my mistakes. Why did I go to that party? Why did I accept the drink? Why

  • Sacrifices of the military child recognized during April

    Established by then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger in 1986, the Month of the Military Child recognizes some 1.9 million U.S. military children ranging in age from infants to 18 years old, who have one or both parents serving in the armed forces.

  • Defending the nation's ICBM force

    Before the sun has had a chance to peek up above the horizon, a two-person team opens the front door and steps out of a missile alert facility (MAF) into the chilly blackness. Their flashlights click on and they set off on a perimeter check. With one on the outside of the fence surrounding the MAF

  • Generating airpower with hydraulics

    The 35th Maintenance Squadron's hydraulics systems back shop maintains F-16 Fighting Falcon’s hydro systems, including landing gear systems, brakes and flight controls.

  • AFMS follows aviation lead to high reliability

    Over many years, the Air Force aviation community's concept of high reliability has evolved from one of expected losses to today's culture of safety, where fatal losses rarely occur.Now, following in the footsteps of aviators and nuclear engineers, the Air Force Medical Service is adopting the

  • Missile testing unit validates strategic deterrent

    The 576th Flight Test Squadron, which conducts Minuteman III launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, holds the unique distinction as the sole intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test unit in the Department of Defense.

  • University Relations seeks to bolster AFRL partnerships, recruiting

    Employment recruiting efforts at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) are expanding via its University Relations program. The program is part of a multi-faceted AFRL effort to seek out and attract the best and brightest scientists and engineers (S&Es) and carry out its mission of providing

  • Nellis breaks ground on DOD’s largest solar array

    Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, hosted a groundbreaking ceremony March 24 for the newest Air Force solar array, a photovoltaic farm named Nellis II. The system, upon completion, will provide 19 megawatts of direct current capacity to the base, making it the largest photovoltaic system in the

  • Total force SMSgt evaluation static closeout date to be July 31

    Enlisted evaluation and promotion changes announced in July 2014 continue with establishment of a July 31 enlisted performance report static closeout date (SCOD) for regular Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve senior master sergeants, effective April 3, Air Force Personnel Center

  • Child’s dream turned pilot’s reality

    Since he was a child, Capt. Kenneth Jubb has chased a dream to one day fly, and now as a pilot he relives his childhood fantasy every time he takes to the air.

  • CSAF discusses Air Force’s need to reset

    The Air Force Association hosted its monthly Air Force breakfast with Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, as the key note speaker, April 2, at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.

  • AF Nuclear Weapons Center reorganizes

    The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) reorganized its structure March 30, realigning responsibilities, authorities and accountability to better serve the nuclear enterprise.

  • 1,000th F-35 training sortie flown at Luke AFB

    The 56th Fighter Wing flew its 1,000th F-35A Lightning II training sortie March 31, making it the fastest F-35 wing to reach the 1,000-sortie milestone in the Defense Department.

  • $25,000 up for grabs in Air Force Club Scholarship Program

    The 2015 Air Force Club Scholarship Program is accepting applications through midnight CDT, May 1. Now in its 17th year, the program has provided almost $400,000 in college tuition assistance to more than 400 Air Force Club members and their families. This year, the program will award 40

  • DARPA uses open systems to boost airpower

    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is unveiling a new program to boost U.S. air superiority by separating payloads such as weapons and sensors from the main air platform, and using open-system architectures to seamlessly integrate plug-and-fly modules into any kind of platform.

  • Reaper maintainers ensure ISR mission accomplishment

    Supporting the largest Reaper unit in the Air Force, Airmen assigned to the 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron work 24 hours a day to ensure the Reaper fleet is fully operational and ready to launch at a moment’s notice.

  • Climate survey is opportunity to share opinions with AF leaders

    The Total Force Climate Survey, available from March 13 to April 27, offers active-duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilian Airmen a chance to express their opinions, perceptions and suggestions to help leaders improve their units.

  • Cadets assist with Oklahoma tornado cleanup

    Spring break community service turned into a cleanup effort for 15 cadets from the U.S. Air Force Academy, after a tornado touched down in Moore, Oklahoma, March 25.

  • CSAF thanks RPA Airmen, highlights mission importance

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and his wife, Betty, visited the Airmen of the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing to discuss the importance of the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission during their visit March 24.

  • 9th-generation GPS satellite blasts off from 'The Cape'

    The 45th Space Wing supported the successful launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket carrying the Air Force's ninth Block IIF-9 navigation satellite for the GPS March 25, 2015, from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

  • CMSAF spends day with Andrews Airmen

    The 17th chief master sergeant of the Air Force met with Airmen March 23, 2015, at Joint Base Andrews to thank them for their contributions to the mission and personally answer questions about Air Force issues.

  • Black Flag first responders train with tunnel vision

    Cold and dimly lit walls surround Airmen dressed in crinkling, sweaty plastic suits to protect against unknown hazards. Firefighters, paramedics, emergency responders, bioenvironmental engineers and police forces share the former highway tunnel year-round for numerous crisis situation exercises.

  • Doolittle Tokyo Raiders to receive Congressional Gold Medal

    Seventy-three years ago, 80 men achieved the unimaginable when they took off from an aircraft carrier on a top secret mission to bomb Japan. These men, led by Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, came to be known as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.

  • AF releases results of Space Launch Process review

    The Air Force announced March 23, that the phase one results of the independent review panel tasked by Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James to review the process for certifying SpaceX as an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) provider.

  • Joint communication training creates realistic scenarios, cost savings

    “Train like we fight” and “Do more with less” are mottos echoing the walls of countless Defense Department and Air Force conference rooms daily; and for good reason. U.S. military missions continue to expand while concurrently trying to balance shrinking budgets and decreasing personnel.

  • Sequestration threatens America’s airpower advantage

    Air Force senior leaders testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Airland March 19, and said with the return of sequestration-level funding, America’s airpower advantage is increasingly at risk.

  • Coming to terms: Airman remains resilient through multiple TBIs

    For the tall, quiet Airman, speaking up about his injuries is difficult. His wounds aren't always visible, but they're very real.After two deployments and six bomb blasts, Tech. Sgt. Gabriel Wasnuk, who is assigned to the 775th Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Flight, is receiving a Purple Heart

  • First Luke F-35 student takes to the sky

    The 56th Fighter Wing officially began training new F-35 Lightning II pilots when the first student, Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus, the commander of the 56th Fighter Wing, flew the wing's first training sortie March 18.

  • NCO banishes mountain of paperwork to the PIT

    As years of logbooks and paper records stacked up in the 436th Airlift Wing Non-destructive Inspection lab, they needed to find a way to improve both their record logging system and their efficiency.Leadership knew they had a young, computer savvy Airman and they turned to him for the answer.

  • Planning, execution and management of OCS critical to military operations

    More than $30 billion was lost from contract waste and fraud during military contingencies in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2001 to 2011, according to a congressionally chartered Commission on Wartime Contracting report from 2011.The Commission concluded that the loss could have been avoided through

  • First AF female general paves way for military women

    Jeanne M. Holm was the first woman in the armed forces to be promoted to the rank of major general in 1973, and is credited as single driving force in achieving parity for military women and making them a viable part of the mainstream military.