NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Focused on the future, force improvement marks progress

    Over the past few months, many changes have come to Air Force Global Strike Command. What started as a grass-roots effort has become a monumental effort by Air Force leaders and Airmen to foster positive changes within the command.

  • New lieutenants give back to Academy Prep School

    Every year, the U.S. Air Force Academy adds to the ever-growing Long Blue Line of graduates. The new second lieutenants, after having spent the last four years together, scatter across the world. Few will return to the Academy in a professional context.

  • Injured EOD Airman returns to fuller life

    In an instant, he went from living his dream to being utterly destroyed on a dusty road in Iraq. An improvised explosive device exploded about two feet from his face, throwing him about 20 feet and leaving him unrecognizable. As his arm dangled to his side, he stumbled up and yelled for the medic.

  • Services continue strong recruiting through September

    All four active services met or exceeded their numerical accession goals for fiscal year 2014 through September, and each service also exceeded Department of Defense quality benchmarks for new recruits, DOD officials announced Nov. 10.

  • ISR aircraft hones in on strategic agility

    Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities have been in high demand from combatant commanders. In order to meet this new operational demand, Air Force officials answered the call back in 2008 by rapidly acquiring and deploying the MC-12W Liberty.

  • Veterans in Blue Volume V out now

    For decades, Airmen have answered the call to serve and protect the nation’s interests, people and cherished freedoms that underpin it all, risking their lives for others, and thus, becoming heroes in the eyes of those they protected.

  • AFRL 3-D audio research helps to make cockpit safer

    The Air Force Research Laboratory, Human Effectiveness directorate, Battlespace Acoustics Branch, has developed 3-D sound technology that creates a sound environment that mimics the way the human body receives aural cues -- much like 3-D movies create the perception that the viewer is part of the

  • Reserve Airmen support Ebola fight on the ground

    About 15 air transportation specialists from the 446th Airlift Wing here are scheduled to depart for Dakar, Senegal, Nov. 8, to support ground personnel for the campaign against Ebola during Operation Unified Assistance.

  • Airlift squadron established for Ebola response in Senegal

    More than 35 Airmen and two C-130J Super Hercules from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, arrived in Dakar, Senegal, this week to establish the 787th Air Expeditionary Squadron and to fly humanitarian cargo into Liberia as part of Operation United Assistance, the mission to fight Ebola in West Africa.

  • Tyndall AFB pilot found, recovered

    Tyndall officials reported that the remains of the F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot involved in a tragic accident Nov. 7 have been recovered from the Gulf of Mexico.

  • Poinsett Range: the environmental mission

    The Poinsett Electronic Combat Range, previously called Poinsett Bombing Range, opened in 1952 to be used as a real-world training range for military personnel.

  • Air Force pilot develops plan to reduce jet fuel consumption

    The Air Force spends more than $9 billion annually on energy. Aviation consumes 86 percent of that amount. In support of the Air Force Energy Strategic Plan to foster an energy aware culture and reduce aviation fuel consumption, an instructor pilot from the 5th Flying Training Squadron has

  • Airman discovers grandfather's World War II story

    An Airman here recently discovered that his grandfather was among a small group of Americans who joined the Canadian military to thwart the tyranny of Nazi Germany prior to America entering World War II.

  • AF surgeon exceeds expectations in Afghanistan

    When receiving a set of orders for a deployment, many service members are left with an assortment of questions: “What will I do, where will I go and will I make a difference?’ For Maj. Jonathan Forbes, a neurosurgeon assigned to the 455th Expeditionary Medical Group here, knew he would be deploying

  • BTZ brothers bring out each other’s best

    Growing up in Athens, Texas, in a single income home didn't leave Juan Antonio and his brother, Antonio Antonio, much to fall back on, but they never dwelled on what they didn't have. They just did the best with what they had, which was each other.

  • 815th Airlift Squadron provides support for Operation Southern Strike

    A large mechanical whir fills the back of the C-130J Super Hercules, as the back ramp doors begin to slowly open like a pair of iron jaws. Chief Master Sgt. Troy Peltier, a loadmaster with the 815th Airlift Squadron here, turns to the 25 paratroopers from the Army's 160th Special Operations Aviation

  • Lasting impressions of an AF honor guardsman

    Walking tall throughout the base, it's apparent that Master Sgt. Andre Moore stands out from the rest of the Airmen. His uniform is sharp and he carries himself with pride. He has the mark of an Air Force honor guardsman. Not unlike a tattoo, the Air Force Honor Guard experience is impressed upon

  • Enlisted promotion system changes continue with weighted factor adjustments

    This January, changes to the Weighted Airman Promotion System (WAPS) will continue with adjustments to the scoring model for promotions to technical sergeant and below, all designed to help ensure job performance is the most important factor when evaluating and identifying Airmen for promotion.

  • Air Force medical trainers arrive in Monrovia

    A team of Air Force medical trainers has arrived in Monrovia, Liberia, to train non-U.S. medical personnel as part of Operation United Assistance, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren said Oct. 30.

  • Dyess Airmen deploy in support of 'United Assistance'

    More than 35 Airmen and two C-130Js from the 317th Airlift Group and 7th Bomb Wing deployed Oct. 29, 2014, to an air base in Western Europe, where they will provide tactical airlift support for Operation United Assistance.

  • Wingman now a part of BMT culture

    Glamorized during the ‘80s movie ‘Top Gun,’ the concept of a wingman was to always keep the lead pilot safe, even at the cost of veering off to fight the enemy. For the past few years, “wingman” has become a pledge, promise and commitment between Airmen to take care of themselves and those around

  • Defense Department officials establish Ebola medical support team

    When Capt. Stacey Morgan’s squadron commander sent her a text message saying that she needed to immediately call him, her first thought was, “Uh-oh. What did I do?” But after a minute or two of talking to her commander, her apprehension was quickly replaced by anxious excitement, as he asked her to

  • Missileer gears up, pulls first alert

    Early October, 2nd Lt. Holley Macpherson, a 320th Missile Squadron deputy missile combat crew commander, took a major step in her career. She manned a launch control center (LCC) for the first time.

  • Senior NCOs lead wingman tactics process, foster culture of innovation

    Senior NCOs from the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing are leading the charge in the wing's newly created Wingman Tactics Process, created to collect and review best wingman practices already in place throughout the wing, and then share those ideas with the rest of the wing.

  • Airmen lead the way in last pre-Ranger course

    Twenty-one Airmen from around the Air Force were put to the test both physically and mentally in their pursuits to attend the U.S. Army Ranger school during the Ranger Assessment Course (RAC) Oct. 2-16, at Silver Flag Alpha range, Nevada.

  • Travis Airman sings at the World Series

    It was a gorgeous fall evening Oct. 26, in San Francisco when a stadium full of 40,000 excited baseball fans paused to honor America during the seventh-inning stretch of Game 5 of the 2014 World Series.

  • Kadena Airmen pay tribute to MC-130P retirement

    From providing helicopter air-to-air refueling to conducting long-range support of special operations forces, the MC-130P Combat Shadow has provided a critical service to the U.S. military for nearly 50 years.

  • AF pilot saves life during stand-off

    A West Virginia Air National Guard C-130 Hercules pilot was confronted with a life or death situation at Laughlin Air Force Base, in Del Rio, Texas, when he was face-to-face with a young man threatening a woman with a knife at a local Wal-Mart. His military training helped him deal with the crisis.

  • Airman makes a name for himself on X Factor UK

    Young Airmen are stationed all over the world and when at their home station are usually given the freedom to be reclusive "dorm dwellers" or indulgent in the local community. One young Airman decided just eating local cuisine or making local friends wasn't enough -- he wanted to be famous. Airman

  • AF hospital adds ‘virus-zapping' robot to inventory

    Standing at 5 feet 2 inches tall, U.S. Air Force Hospital Langley's newest staff member doesn't initially have a commanding presence; however, after five minutes, its impact has the potential to save countless lives around the world.

  • An Air Force first: ALO graduates Ranger School

    On average, more than 4,000 Soldiers go through the U.S. Army Ranger School each year. The number of Airmen who have completed the course since its inception in 1950 is only a little over 300.

  • Vance flight simulators go HD

    Instead of flying in a computer-generated world reminiscent of a Windows 95 graphics reproduction, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training students will take to the simulated blue skies in high definition, beginning Oct 27.

  • Airman featured in Warrior Games documentary

    Master Sgt. Christopher Aguilera will be one of the wounded warriors featured on Universal Sports Network’s documentary-style special ‘Warrior Games: The Fight Continues,’ airing 8 p.m. EDT, Oct. 22.

  • Academy fliers soar above competition

    The Academy Flying Team won a top-level national flying competition for the 28th consecutive year, scoring first in overall school rankings, school flight events and school ground events.

  • ISR: A critical capability for 21st century warfare

    The progressive adaptations and breakthroughs made in the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance arena have changed the way wars are fought, and the way commanders think about the battlespace.

  • Airmen close out successful SALITRE exercise

    After flying more than 50 sorties, participating in two community relations events, entertaining multiple media events and experiencing a visit from the President of Chile, U.S. Airmen participating in Chile's SALITRE 2014 exercise are returning home.

  • Illinois ANG soars skies over Poland

    Airmen from the U.S. and Polish air forces started training together Oct. 15, at Powidz Air Base, Poland, for the start of Aviation Detachment rotation 15-1.

  • Wolf Pack soars at RED FLAG-Alaska 15-1

    Airmen from the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, recently participated in Red Flag-Alaska (RF-A)15-1 from Oct. 6 to 17at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.

  • Officer Training School graduates first total force class

    The Air Force Officer Training School moved one step closer to complete total force integration with its first simultaneous graduation of active-duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard officer trainees here, Oct. 10.

  • Programmers earn award for innovative tablet app

    Software development programmers with the 375th Communications Support Squadron here were nationally recognized for creating an innovative iPad application designed to decrease the time it takes for KC-10 loadmasters and boom operators to do their jobs during pre-flight operations.

  • Legend behind 'Pardo Push' visits Seymour Johnson Airmen

    The 4th Fighter Wing welcomed one of the Air Force's most heroic fighter pilots from the Vietnam War for a base visit, Oct. 10. Retired Lt. Col. Bob Pardo, known for saving the lives of a fellow F-4 Phantom crew with what became known as "Pardo's Push," visited the 4th Training Squadron's F-15E

  • Aircrew members traverse combat survival training challenges

    Placed in the middle of the woods, pursued by an unknown number of adversaries, and the day's last light sinking beyond the horizon is exactly the type of setting survival, evasion, resistance and escape, or SERE, instructors hope to train aircrew members in.The setting is the training ground for

  • Expert advice on sports medicine now one click away

    Under a new partnership between the Air Force Medical Service, or AFMS, and the Human Performance Resource Center, or HPRC, Air Force healthcare providers can now seek expert advice on a variety of sports medicine topics.

  • Undergrad flying training applications due in December

    The 2015 undergraduate flying training selection board originally scheduled for Jan. 20-23 will now convene Feb. 17-20 and associated application suspenses have shifted by approximately one month, Air Force Personnel Center officials said Oct. 10.

  • Airmen train for ‘new wild, wild west’ in cyber domain

    On any given day, the Defense Department defends itself against numerous cyber-attacks at installations throughout the world. To help combat this growing threat, Airmen from the 39th Information Operations Squadron train to defend computer networks against invisible ordnance in the operational

  • T-38 pilot receives highest aviation safety award

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III presented the service's top safety award, the Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy, to a pilot from Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, during a ceremony Oct. 8, at the Pentagon.

  • AF energy initiatives increase mission readiness

    The Air Force’s top leaders for energy programs highlighted strides the Air Force has taken in energy conservation, and discussed innovative ideas that will lead to even more cost and energy savings, during the Air Force Association’s monthly breakfast Oct. 8, in Arlington, Virginia.

  • Altus AFB Airmen deliver aid to Liberia

    Ten Airmen from the 97th Air Mobility Wing here, delivered humanitarian and medical supplies to Liberia Sept. 25 - Oct. 3, in support of Operation United Assistance to provide aid to the Ebola stricken region.

  • Kentucky ANG establishes cargo hub in Senegal for Ebola response

    More than 80 Airmen from the Kentucky Air National Guard's 123rd Contingency Response Group stood up a cargo hub here Oct. 5, that will funnel humanitarian supplies and equipment into West Africa in support of Operation United Assistance, or OUA, the international effort to fight Ebola.

  • Hackathon to help solve real-world problems

    The Air Force Research Laboratory is preparing to co-host LabHack, a 26-hour long coding competition which will task coding-savvy individuals, or "hackers," to creatively solve challenges that AFRL researchers face every day.

  • F-15 crashes, pilot safe on ground

    An F-15D Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing at Royal Air Force Station Lakenheath, England crashed at approximately 3:28 p.m. (10:28 a.m. EST) today, while conducting a combat training mission.

  • Service, it’s in the family

    Playing in the sandbox with his brother was never a difficult task; a fist full of sand down the shirt and a trail across the kitchen floor leaves mom playing referee, but boys will be boys.

  • SecAF expresses priorities to Vandenberg Airmen

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James recently visited Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, to meet with Airmen and witness the successful launch of an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.

  • FIP provides new career path for missileers

    Steps to implement the "3+3" operations tour construct for the missile combat crew officers at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana have begun to meet the Nov. 1, 2014, implementation date.

  • Turning the page in financial improvement

    Oct. 1 marked not only the beginning of a new fiscal year but also the start of a new chapter in Air Force Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness that has been ten years in the making.

  • Powering the flightline

    People use electricity every day, whether by turning on a light switch or vacuuming the carpet and in the Air Force, some of the energy used every day powers a multimillion dollar flightline and ensuring the mission is accomplished.

  • Love proves stronger than adversity

    Seven months before their wedding date, most brides are picking out invitations, booking musicians and florists and sending out save-the-date cards, however, Meagan Pinney was driving as fast as possible from Pheonix, Arizona, to Las Vegas to see her then-fiance, Ryan, in the hospital after a

  • Airman uses LEAP experience to enhance AFSOUTH mission

    The Air Force is made up of a diversely talented group of people whose personal skill sets often enhance their careers and one Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Airman is using his language and culture skills to support a unique Air Forces Southern mission.

  • No greater friend

    Service dogs can range from being a person's eyes, sensing a seizure or low blood sugar, to sniffing out improvised explosive devices on the battlefield. For some of the Air Force's wounded warrior athletes, service dogs provide so much more than just physical assistance.

  • Dover tail flash flies around the ‘Monster Mile’

    The Dover tail flash is blue, yellow, black and white, has the head of an eagle, depicts the Liberty Bell, proudly displays the name "Dover," and normally is only found adorning the tail section of Dover Air Force Base C-5M Super Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.

  • Energy Action Month spotlights Airmen impacting operations

    October is Energy Action Month throughout the federal government and in the Air Force, Energy Action Month is the centerpiece of the “I am Air Force Energy” campaign dedicated to educating Airmen on ways they can maximize their energy efficiency and mission effectiveness.

  • Airmen keep F-16s rolling

    The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a highly technological, maneuverable, multirole fighter aircraft capable of reaching speeds of Mach 2 when in the air, but without wheels and tires, it is nothing more than a static display.

  • Cyber: The new Red Flag battleground

    The internet is a battleground, and information is the prize. News reports of a shopping retailer losing control of customers’ digital data and an internet browser being compromised are some of the recent evidence of the constant cyber-threat present in the World Wide Web. The digital war over

  • Volleyball: Army too much for AF in bronze medal round

    Fans and players from the Air Force and the Army flooded into the U.S Olympic Training Center gymnasium Oct. 1, to watch as the two services clashed in this one last game with the 2014 Warrior Games sitting volleyball bronze medal on the line.