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U.S. Air Force News

  • AF senior leaders caution against sequestration

    The Air Force’s top two leaders justified their service’s funding proposal in the fiscal year 2016 President’s Budget request to members of the Senate Appropriations Committee during an Air Force posture hearing Feb. 25, in Washington, D.C.

  • Quality assurance: Making sure it’s done right

    Have you ever watched a movie, or professional wrestling, and find yourself rooting for the villain at the end?Around the flightline, there’s a group of ‘bad guys’ that represent their career field’s most knowledgeable maintainers and make up the office known as quality assurance.

  • Airmen missing from WWII accounted for

    The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced Feb. 23, that the remains of U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been accounted for and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

  • SecAF visits Mountain Home

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, Feb. 18, to experience the base firsthand and meet the service members dedicated to making it run efficiently.

  • Riding for the future of cycling

    Following a full day of work developing Air Force models, Maj. Ian Holt, mounts his Felt bicycle and starts pedaling on a three-hour training ride. It's all part of the regimen prescribed by his coach leading up to the sixth Conseil International du Sport Militaire - the international military

  • A chaplain’s story: Legacy, life, love

    As a young boy growing up in West Palm Beach, Florida, Matthew Boyd understood he was destined to serve. With two granddads who served in World War I and a father's return home after World War II, Boyd said he knew he was born to be a warrior.Now a major in the Air Force, he continues the family

  • Natural disaster response improved at Cope North 15

    More than 300 service members from six countries joined together to conduct the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) portion of exercise Cope North 15 from Feb. 15 to 18, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and throughout the region of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

  • Pay dates increase for civilians in 2015

    Civilian employees will have 27 pay dates in 2015 compared to the usual 26, so some employees might need to adjust their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contribution elections to receive the maximum agency matching contributions for 2015.

  • Nuclear oversight board members visit Minot AFB

    More than three dozen members of the Air Force's senior leadership, including Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, converged on Minot Air Force Base for a meeting of the Nuclear Oversight Board here today. The NOB is a quarterly

  • Small but mighty: ECONS packs a punch

    Airmen with the Expeditionary Contracting Squadron can tell you first hand what’s missing. From the construction flight to the services flight, all the way to the commodities flight, if you take them away, you end up with a deployment no one really wants to be on.

  • ISR invests in infrastructure, Airmen

    Increasing demands for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, coupled with limited funding across the Air Force, were discussed during the Air Force Association’s monthly breakfast Feb. 18, in Arlington, Virginia.

  • Academy, Kirtland Airmen rewarded for API ideas

    A human resources assistant at the Air Force Academy and an Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) officer at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, will be among the first to receive financial rewards from the Airmen Powered by Innovation program.

  • Museum volunteer shares story of service

    It was January 1945, and 21-year-old Lt. Donald Clark found himself piloting a C-47A Skytrain over the Western Front as the Battle of the Bulge was coming to an end. The aircraft was on its way to resupply Lt. Gen. George Patton's 3rd U.S. Army, and its tanks, with fuel and ammunition, as they began

  • SBIRS constellation forms under one roof

    Airmen from the 460th Operations Group have made history by successfully completing the first series of Space Based Infrared System satellite and antenna communication on Jan. 28-30 from Block 10, the new operations floor, on Buckley Air Force Base, Colo.

  • Cope North 15 kicks off at Andersen

    Exercise Cope North 15 kicked off at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 15, and will run through Feb. 27, marking the 86th iteration of the multilateral training exercise.

  • Carter takes office as 25th Defense secretary

    Ash Carter became the 25th secretary of Defense Feb. 17, after having served previously as deputy defense secretary, defense acquisition chief and assistant secretary for global strategic affairs.

  • Carter’s message to DOD workforce

    Ash Carter, who was sworn in as the 25th secretary of Defense Feb. 17, laid out his top priorities in a message to the Defense Department workforce.

  • Evolution of perspective: Airman finds balance after diagnosis

    Senior Master Sgt. Daphne Soto never meets a stranger because each encounter opens a door to a potential new friend, or to someone who just needs to talk, and she'll keep the door open for both. But while she cares for her Airmen at all times, she had to learn that sometimes saying "no" is

  • 75 day leave carryover ends Sept. 30

    Effective Sept. 30, military members will no longer be able to carry more than 60 days of leave into the next fiscal year, in accordance with 2013 National Defense Authorization Act requirements.

  • Deputy secretary visits Minot, notes strong morale

    Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said morale is strong at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, after he visited facilities and spoke with Airmen Feb. 11, at the only base to host two legs of the nuclear triad.

  • AF chief of staff: Call to the future

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III shared his thoughts on where the Air Force is, where it’s going and how it’s going to get there with an audience at the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition Feb. 12, in Orlando, Florida.

  • Cody gives enlisted perspective at AFA

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody outlined his top priorities for the enlisted force during the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 12.

  • Avoid online dangers, unfriendly users on social media

    The internet instantaneously allows you to reach out across the internet superhighway to share information or connect with loved ones. Despite how innocuous this may seem, without taking the proper precautions, your personal information can inadvertently fall into the wrong hands.

  • First AF theater security package deploys to Europe

    This week the U.S. Air Force deployed 12 A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and approximately 300 Airmen as part of a theater security package to the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

  • Female U-2 pilot blazes trail through society and space

    As a child she imagined flying amongst the stars, thousands of miles above the earth’s surface, and today Lt. Col. Merryl Tengesdal is one of eight female pilots to ever fly the U-2 and the only black female pilot during the aircraft's history.

  • AF conducts massive protected MILSATCOM test

    The Air Force concluded a six-month rigorous and complex multiservice operational test and evaluation of its Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF)system in January at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.

  • Arctic conditions make cleaning waste a challenge

    Members of the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron, along with five other state and federal agencies, practiced techniques to deal with oil or hazardous waste spills under cold weather conditions during an exercise here Feb. 3-5.

  • vESD 2.0 rolls out Air Force wide

    A brand new version of the Virtual Enterprise Service Desk (version 2.0) is now available on unclassified computer desktops on the Air Force network.

  • AF top leaders mentor future Airmen

    More than 30 Air Force general officers offered their time and expertise to high school students during the Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) Conference Feb. 6, at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

  • Key defense suppliers recognized for stellar delivery to warfighters

    Getting top-notch materiel to the warfighters in the most cost-effective and efficient manner is what the American public expects of defense contractors. One of the things the military services are now doing to incentivize industry to improve is by recognizing their top performers. This is

  • Fueling future training

    Tyndall Air Force Base is home to the world's largest F-22 Raptor fleet, and the only base that trains their pilots; but without the aircraft's maintainers, this impressive force could never take off from the ramp.

  • Tinker acquires land for KC-46A Pegasus maintenance

    Tinker Air Force Base officials announced Feb. 2, the acquisition of 158 acres of land on the southwest side of the base to stand up a depot maintenance facility for the Air Force's next-generation aerial refueling aircraft, the KC-46A Pegasus.

  • DISA rolls out DOD online communication tool

    The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is rolling out a new online collaboration tool that offers Defense Department employees anywhere in the world secure web conferencing and secure instant messaging and chat capabilities.

  • Energy conservation projects announced, AF awarded most in DOD

    The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) recently announced Energy Conservation Investment Program (ECIP) projects it will fund for fiscal year 2016. The Air Force was awarded nearly half of them, more than any other Defense Department agency.

  • Maintaining the technological edge

    Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Larry O. Spencer urged members of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to help the service maintain their technological edge at their winter board meeting Jan. 27.

  • ‘Super’ Airman becomes professional bodybuilder

    After a heavy weight workout, Senior Airman Terrence Ruffin walks over to a row of mirrors in the gym posing and flexing his muscles for more than half an hour. This behavior isn't an overabundance of ego or vanity, but a critical part of the training routine for Ruffin, a professional bodybuilder.

  • AF Assistance Fund in full swing

    The 2015 Air Force Assistance Fund Campaign has kicked off and will run until May 1. Air Force bases worldwide are participating in this fundraising event which raises money for four Air Force charities.

  • Juniper Thunder strengthens AF, Army communications

    Airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and Soldiers from Rhine Ordnance Barracks, Germany, came together here to take part in a joint communications exercise and establish bilateral communications across the two branch's networks, Jan. 19.

  • Cope South 15 successfully ends

    U.S. and Bangladesh air force (BAF) personnel joined together for the closing ceremony of exercise Cope South 15 (CS15) at BAF Base Bangabandhu, Bangladesh, Jan. 29.

  • Air Force presents FY 16 budget request

    The Air Force presented its fiscal year 2016 President's Budget request Feb. 2, following the Defense Department and sister services budget briefings.

  • Binding material to save Osprey engines

    The 58th Special Operations Wing has a plan to mitigate aircraft engine damage that happens during training missions using a biodegradable binding material at practice landing zones.TerraLOC — a material is described to 58th SOW officials as "Gorilla Glue on steroids," by its manufacturer -- binds

  • AFRL announces winners of student satellite competition

    Students representing 10 universities competed for the chance to send a satellite they designed and built into space. The competition was sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate University Nanosat Program.

  • Lead-in training increases Afghan capabilities

    Train, Advise, Assist Command – Air maintainers are providing lead-in training to Afghan air force airmen at the Kabul Air Wing in an effort to ensure they excel at the C-130 Hercules maintenance courses they will attend in the U.S.

  • A dream born from chaos

    In the early hours of Dec. 20, 1989, when most of Panama City was sleeping, a 10-year-old boy and his family were awakened by explosions and helicopters overhead. The family exited their home, only to witness pandemonium: buildings burning down, people running and screaming. War was reality for

  • CMSAF visits Airmen, stresses importance of USAFE mission

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody and his wife, retired Chief Master Sgt. Athena Cody, met with Airmen from bases around U.S. Air Forces in Europe during visits, Jan. 25-31, to thank them and their families for their service, and to discuss the future of USAFE.

  • Air Force names 2-star to lead F-35 Integration Office

    With the initial operating capability date of the F-35 Lightning II quickly approaching, the Air Force appointed Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian as the director of a larger Air Force F-35 Integration Office, Feb. 1.

  • Lakenheath's 493rd FS awarded 2014 Raytheon Trophy

    It's known as "Gold," it's the home of the Grim Reapers, and, for 2014, it's been named the top fighter squadron in the Air Force.The 493rd Fighter Squadron demonstrated their ability to remain “Forward, Ready, Now,” and was recently awarded the highly competitive and prestigious Raytheon Trophy.

  • AF identifies Boeing 747-8 platform for next Air Force One

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James in coordination with Frank Kendall, the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, determined that the Boeing 747-8 will serve as the next presidential aircraft, commonly known as Air Force One.

  • 341st MMXS missile communications train for field

    When it comes to ensuring the U.S.'s intercontinental ballistic missiles are ready at a moment's notice, an essential piece to the puzzle is proper maintenance on its communications network.This is where the 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron Missile Communications training section comes into play.

  • CMSAF visits Lajes, engages with Airmen

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody and his wife, retired Chief Master Sgt. Athena Cody, made a stop at Lajes Field, Azores, during a tour of remote locations across U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Jan. 26.

  • MAPS, PREL achieve all work cages ready for duty

    All 17 of the 341st Missile Wing's guided missile maintenance platforms (GMMP) became available for field use Jan. 14, according to Lt. Col. John Briner, the 341st Missile Operations Squadron commander. This feat is unprecedented in recent memory.

  • When severe winter weather threatens U.S. the Hurricane Hunters are there

    The Hurricane Hunters of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron here, recently deployed a WC-130J Hercules out over the Atlantic Ocean to gather weather data for winter storms "Lola” and “Juno", which are projected to ravage the East Coast throughout the next few days with nearly three feet of

  • The 'daily flap' brings morale, leadership to Total Force team

    When reporting for the duty day, most maintainers go to their areas, prepare for their shift and begin the day's work. Yet the day begins a bit differently for some members in the 92nd Maintenance Squadron, where an Airman found a way to motivate, inspire and lead others with just a few words of

  • Behind the iron mask: Airman builds heroic persona to help others

    Beneath every superhero’s mask is an individual who enters society with a mission to leave it better than he or she found it.Iron Man is one of the many superheroes who not only lives in comic books, but also thrives on the big screen, and is seen as a hero to many.Tech. Sgt. Brian Thornton, a 628th

  • Air Force BMT introduces innovative Capstone Week

    Air Force basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph-Lackland will soon restructure its current eight-and-a-half-week course to make room for a new five-day program called Capstone Week, beginning Jan. 27 with trainees entering BMT.

  • 96th Test Group brings 'R2-D2' to life

    Remotely tucked away in the high desert of southern New Mexico, the 96th Test Group provides some of the most sophisticated military testing in the world. Often, their innovations and technological pursuits seem like works of science fiction, such as the group's latest project dubbed affectionately

  • Joint Base San Antonio selected to host AFIMSC headquarters

    Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, was selected as the host base for the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC) Headquarters.Air Force officials chose the installation after analyzing operational considerations, installation attributes, economic and environmental factors at four

  • Cross-utilization training solving problems for McChord Airmen

    After a year of cuts in both manning and fiscal resources, the 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here had to develop a creative way to keep the mission going strong by educating Airmen in other Air Force specialty codes (AFSCs) to assist the currently undermanned aircraft hydraulics section.

  • Andersen AFB Airman makes every dollar count

    An Airman from the 554th RED HORSE Squadron put his innovative thinking to the test, stepping up to the challenge put forth by Air Force leaders under a service wide cost saving initiative.Capt. Nassem Ghandour, the 554th RHS engineering flight deputy commander, was recognized through the Every

  • SAPR: Creating a culture shift

    According to officials from the Department of Defense's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, rising reports of sexual assault is not only a good indication of a cultural shift in the force structure, but also on the utilization of SAPR resources.People who experience sexual assault are

  • Israeli air force training

    Maj. Kevin Coughlin, the 48th Airlift Squadron flight commander and an instructor pilot, had the opportunity to travel far from Little Rock AFB to train Israeli aircrew members beyond the initial training level.

  • F-35 arrival begins new era at weapons school

    A new era began at the U.S. Air Force Weapons School when its first F-35A Lightning II touched-down on the flightline here Jan. 15, flown straight from the Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas.

  • USecAF lands at Moody, visits Airmen

    Under Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning visited Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Jan. 15, for the first time to learn more about the mission and experience it firsthand.

  • AF to expand Powder River Training Complex

    The Air Force issued its record of decision Jan. 16, to expand the airspace at the Powder River Training Complex (PRTC), after an extensive review of environmental impacts and public concerns regarding expansion.

  • TAAC-Air speaks of mission in its new name

    For more than seven years, NATO Air Training Command – Afghanistan has been working side-by-side with Afghan National Security Forces to build, strengthen and empower the Afghan air force.With the transition toward Resolute Support, as of Jan. 14, NATC-A has been renamed to Train, Advise, Assist

  • Air Force brings ideas to Defense Innovation Initiative

    In dual remarks during the State of the Air Force press briefing here Jan. 15, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and the Air Force chief of staff announced plans to bring the service’s research, science and technology ideas to the Defense Innovation Initiative, led by Deputy Secretary of Defense

  • Air Force senior leadership addresses need to stabilize RPA enterprise

    During a State of the Air Force address held at the Pentagon, Jan 15, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James announced immediate preliminary steps to develop a get-well plan to improve the health of the MQ-1B Predator and MQ-9 Reaper enterprise in light of extensive combatant commander

  • Bomber force prepares for new B-52 bomb bay upgrade testing

    Since the Air Force's decision in 2013 to increase the B-52H Stratofortress fleet's effectiveness and versatility by increasing the aircraft's smart weapons capacity by over 50 percent, teams from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Boeing, and now Edwards AFB, have partnered up to begin developmental

  • Hard work, dedication in below zero temperatures

    It's 6:30 a.m., 27 degrees below zero and the sky remains dark. Senior Airman Taylor Lancaster heads to his locker to sort his gear and make sure he has everything ready to begin work in the frigid weather.

  • James: New acquisition initiative aims to cut costs

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James announced the Bending the Cost Curve program Jan. 14, at the Atlantic Council in Washington D.C, the new initiative is designed to help the Air Force partner with industry, encourage innovation and drive down the cost of systems.

  • Dempsey praises Scowcroft during dedication ceremony

    Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, praised the career of retired Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft during a dedication ceremony in honor of Scowcroft’s achievements Jan. 13, held at the National War College on Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C.

  • Free tax preparation, advice available to military families

    To ease the burden of tax-filing season, the Defense Department, through Military OneSource, is teaming up again this year with H&R Block to offer no-cost tax preparation to the military community with a promise of guaranteed accuracy.