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U.S. Air Force News

  • 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.

  • Air Force offers tuition assistance for civil service Ph.D. candidates

    Air Force officials recently approved tuition assistance funding for eligible Ph.D. candidates through the Civilian Tuition Assistance Program. Applications are due July 2, 2017 for academic programs this fall and need to include a strong justification statement explaining how the course work

  • 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

  • Through tragedy, loss, amputation, Airman learns ‘new norm’

    “My leg looked like a boomerang.”Those were the words of Staff Sgt. August O’Niell, an Air Force pararescueman, to members of the Air Force Technical Applications Center when the combat warrior visited the base to discuss resiliency during the center’s Combat Airman Fitness Day.

  • 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

  • Physical therapists keep service members fit to fight

    In a deployed environment, injuries happen. Whether they occur in the performance of duty or through the course of physical exercise, they have the potential to impact the mission. Each individual in the military, and their ability to perform their duties, plays an important role in the success of

  • Air Force Stands Up New Headquarters Space Directorate

    Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson has approved the reorganization of the Air Force headquarters to establish a Deputy Chief of Staff for Space Operations, who will be a three-star Air Force general officer.

  • Reservists support global intelligence mission

    BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) -- High above the clouds, intelligence satellites operated by the National Reconnaissance Office keep a close watch on the world below.Air Force Reserve Individual Mobilization Augmentees play a key role in ensuring those satellites remain a viable component of

  • Grandson of Enola Gay pilot flies refurbished B-29

    Wichita’s beloved B-29 Superfortress, Doc, took to the skies yet again June 9, 2017, from McConnell Air Force Base, this time with an added aspect of historical significance and Air Force heritage.Sitting in the co-pilot seat was Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets IV, the 509th Bomb Wing commander. Taking

  • Around the Air Force: June 14

    Today's look Around the Air Force features European Theater Bomber Assurance and Deterrence Operations, Exercise Baltic Operations or Baltops, and the Honorable Lisa Disbrow honored for her service as the Acting Secretary of the Air Force.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • Around the Air Force: June 12

    On this look around the Air Force, Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson, and Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. David Goldfein, testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Hosted by Airman 1st Class Cory Kuttler.

  • Air Force B-2 Spirit Stealth Bombers arrive in UK

    Two B-2 Spirit stealth bombers joined B-1B Lancers and B-52H Stratofortresses June 9, 2017, to participate in theater bomber assurance and deterrence operations.Three B-52Hs from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and three B-1Bs from Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, along with approximately 800

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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.

  • AF civilian hiring resumes after freeze lifted

    The Air Force Personnel Center is partnering with customers with the goal of resuming normal “first-in, first-out” operations since the government-wide hiring freeze ended in early April 2017.

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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

  • AF rolls out fiscal 2018 space budget

    Air Force leaders met with media to discuss specifics of the service’s fiscal 2018 space investment budget at the Pentagon May 24, 2017. The request totals $7.75 billion, an approximately 20 percent increase from fiscal year 2017.

  • RPA culture continues innovation

    The RQ-1 Predator, later designated as the MQ-1, was the right aircraft at the right time following the events of Sept. 11, 2001. While the nation was recovering from the largest attack in its history since the bombings of Pearl Harbor, members of the Pentagon prepared for a war they already knew

  • 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.

  • Air Force selects 2017 triathlon team

    The Air Force recently selected the 2017 Air Force Triathlon Team that will represent the service at the 2017 Armed Forces Triathlon Championship June 7-11, 2017, at Naval Base Ventura County, California.

  • Yesterday's Air Force: Pilot training

    This episode of Yesterday’s Air Force takes a look back at the history of the Air Force's Pilot Training Program, from its humble beginnings in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to its modern day pursuit of air superiority.

  • AF showcases game-changing technologies at DOD Lab Day

    Scientists and engineers from the Air Force Research Laboratory presented 16 technology research projects in various stages of maturity during the second biennial Department of Defense Lab Day May 18, 2017, in the Pentagon center courtyard.

  • 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

  • Senior leaders discuss US space posture

    On May 17, 2017, Air Force senior leaders testified before the Senate Armed Service Committee Strategic Forces subcommittee on military space, organization, policy and programs.

  • 45th Space Wing enables nation's space mission

    Space launches may soon be an almost weekly sight on Florida's Space Coast. As the need for space lift grows globally, partnerships between the Air Force, other government agencies and the commercial space industry are enhancing the 45th Space Wing's vision of remaining the world's premier gateway

  • 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

  • USAF Special Tactics trains to lead, build partnership in Jordan

    Air Force Special Tactics teams, Jordanian Armed Forces Special Task Force and Italy's 17th Stormo Incursori special operations forces secure each building in the compound -- searching for a missing U.S. service member and rendering aid to casualties along the way.

  • C-130 pilot receives 60th Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy

    Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson presented the 2016 Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy to Maj. John Hourigan, a 123rd Operations Support Squadron C-130 Hercules pilot, at the Pentagon, May 17, 2017, for not only saving the lives of five crewmembers, but also identifying a worldwide C-130

  • Special Operations Command aircrew recognized for meritorious flight

    Every year, an aircrew is selected for the Clarence Mackay Trophy for accomplishing the most meritorious flight of the year. This year, an AC-130U aircrew from Air Force Special Operations Command, which included one of 25th Air Force’s outstanding Airmen, was recognized with the honor.

  • AF Repair Enhancement Program saves millions of dollars

    The Air Force Repair Enhancement Program here performs marvels all the time. Recently, the four-person shop repaired a $20,000 power supply headed for the trash by replacing a $5 resistor, the equivalent of fixing a $300 phone with an eight-cent paper clip.

  • AFOSI spouse earns Military Spouse of the Year

    Brittany Boccher, the spouse of Master Sgt. Adam Boccher, an Air Force Office of Special Investigations special agent, from Detachment 327 at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, had a memorable year in 2016. Boccher was selected as the 2016 Little Rock AFB Military Spouse of the Year and the AFOSI