NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Airmen host shoe drive during Pacific Unity 14-8

    Though the official mission of Pacific Unity 14-8 is to construct two female dormitories for students at Togoba Secondary School in Papua New Guinea, Airmen deployed in support of the operation have found additional ways to give back to the community.

  • SOS reduces course length, increases classes in FY 15

    To align with the chief of staff of the Air Force's vision to give more company grade officers the opportunity to attend Squadron Officer School, Squadron Officer College is changing the school's course term length from eight to five weeks starting in fiscal year 2015.

  • British pilot soars among Yankees

    As they gather for a routine flight briefing they appear the same: same flight suit, same gear, same mission. Upon further inspection it becomes clear that one of these pilots is not exactly like the others.

  • Inspector General Hotline gives DOD employees options

    In an organization as large as the Defense Department, bad or outdated policies or regulations can remain in place, and sometimes there are bad actors. The DOD Inspector General operates a Hotline that has been instrumental in changing policies, uncovering fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement and

  • Air Force reveals newest recruiting campaign

    The U.S. Air Force is bringing back its "Aim High" advertising slogan after a 15-year hiatus with the launch of the "I am an American Airman" recruiting campaign Sept. 8. The integrated campaign, created by the Air Force's advertising agency, GSD&M, includes three commercial spots as well as new

  • Following in her father's flight plan

    Some families have a history of military service, whether it be cross-service or within the same branch. It is somewhat less common however, to have two consecutive generations not only serve in the same branch of the military, but to pursue the same career field.

  • AFMC commander: Tough decisions create opportunities

    Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger, the commander of Air Force Materiel Command, told members of Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, the biggest challenge the Air Force faces is doing business in a constrained budget environment.

  • Air Force revamps AEF

    The Air Force will deploy Agile Combat Support Airmen under its redesigned air expeditionary force construct October 1.

  • Kandahar's Liberty operations reach end of mission

    After four years of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, the 361st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron will complete their MC-12W Liberty operations in southern Afghanistan at the beginning of September 2014.

  • Airman delivers under pressure

    Most baby delivery stories seem to follow the same storyline. In the early stages of labor, the mother begins her contractions and heads to the hospital, then some odd amount of hours later, the baby is born.

  • Sudan 'Lost Boy' serves as Kadena NCO

    "At the age of 10, I have seen death; I have buried other kids -- at the age of 10," he said, a sadness moving into his eyes. "But at the same time, I've rebounded. If I have to stay in that hole and think of those horrible situations I've been in, then I would not be here today."Labeled a "Lost Boy

  • Airman's service helps unite his family

    Being away from family is nothing new to Airman 1st Class Nana Sefa, who is currently deployed to Afghanistan on a six-month tour; after all, it's only a quarter of the time he has spent away from his wife.Sefa, a 455th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle management analysis craftsman, deployed

  • A resilient rebel on eight wheels

    At nearly twice their ages and half their sizes, Lt. Col. Melanie Friedman stands out among those wearing the same uniform. The deputy director of intelligence at the Curtis E. Lemay Center for Doctrine Development and Education, known to her teammates and competitors as "BustHer Bunny," joins the

  • AFSOUTH partnership brings illicit air drug trafficking to a halt

    In 2010, illegal drugs were being flown into the Dominican Republic at an alarming rate. The continual issue of drug trafficking led the Dominican government to seek new aircraft and tactics to deal with the problem. They turned to the U.S. Southern Command, which is responsible for U.S. military

  • Know your POV shipping entitlements

    Many service members may not know of their entitlements when shipping personal vehicles as they move overseas or return stateside, according to U.S. Transportation Command officials.

  • Pistol champion shoots to the top

    When at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Jackson is an aircraft metals technology craftsman with the 23d Equipment Maintenance Squadron, but during his off time, he's an avid pistol shooter and member of the Air Force National Pistol Team.

  • ANG engineers help Coast Guard

    More than 30 Airmen from the 134th Civil Engineer Squadron in Knoxville, Tennessee, traveled to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London Jun 1 to assist the Coast Guard in a joint effort to complete multiple projects on the USCGA campus.

  • Edwards, NASA say goodbye to historic landmark

    A structure synonymous with NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center for the past 38 years, the grey-colored space shuttle Mate-Demate Device (MDD) at Edwards Air Force Base is being dismantled and demolished as a part of the final chapter in the U.S. space shuttle program.

  • 'Total Force' Airmen keep ammo rolling for vital OEF missions

    Airmen assigned to the 455th Maintenance Squadron aren't just practicing total force integration during an exercise or at home, they are performing it for real in a combat zone and they are doing it as the U.S. Air Force gets smaller. They're proof that TFI works in the real world doing the real

  • Nuclear deterrence: The silent sentinel

    Global conflict and instability have always been a part of human history, and America’s nuclear forces serve as the nation’s ultimate form of deterrence in a world where global engagements are becoming increasingly complex.

  • President pledges support to veterans

    The administration is moving ahead with changes to the VA. Obama signed the Veterans Access Choice and Accountability Act, which provides money to hire staff and allows veterans who live more than 40 miles from VA care to see doctors outside the VA.

  • Airman takes positive spin after selected for separation

    At 27 years old and after nearly five years of being in uniform, Senior Airman Lee Owens is rejoining the civilian workforce in September. Like more than 3,500 Airmen Air Force-wide, the 42nd Air Base Wing-assigned broadcast engineer was selected for separation after being identified by the Air

  • Spiritual resilience fuels the heart, soul

    Similar to a sine wave, everyone has ups and downs, but it's their spirituality that gets them to the next day. No matter the faith background, where a person is from or who their family is, everyone has some sort of spirituality to lean on during both the hard times and the fun ones.

  • End of an era: AF EOD mission wraps up in Afghanistan

    There have been 20 rotations of more than 600 explosive ordnance disposal technicians who have left their mark in the history of Operation Enduring Freedom since the 2004 inception of the 466th EOD Operating Location Bravo Flight here. With more than 10,000 missions completed, Aug. 19 marked the

  • Flight gives face-lift to Eglin's vehicle fleet

    Keeping the Air Force's third largest vehicle fleet looking good is not an easy task, but efforts by the 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron's Vehicle Management Flight make it happen.

  • Former CMSAF discuss hot topics of today

    With more than 250 years of combined Air Force experience, eight former chief master sergeants of the Air Force answered questions facing Airmen today during the 2014 Air Force Sergeants Association Professional Airmen’s conference here Aug. 20.

  • Braving the heat, breaking records

    Even with the doors open, temperatures inside the KC-135 Stratotanker can rise high enough to safely cook meat. Sweat pours down Airman 1st Class Joseph Swartz's face as he triple checks the work his team just completed on the equally hot metal outside.

  • Romania air base replaces Transit Center Manas

    Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania, located 25 miles northwest of the Black Sea city of Constanta, started operations in February 2014 and has already processed more than 85,000 troops.

  • ACC loans Global Hawk to Global Vigilance Combined Test Force

    The 412th Test Wing's Global Vigilance Combined Test Force received a Global Hawk Block 40 Aug. 6, on loan from Air Combat Command. The aircraft, from Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, is joining the Block 20 and 40 aircraft at Edwards AFB to offer an additional platform for

  • Improvement program keeps officer engaged in missile mission

    Capt. Billy Terry, a 341st Operational Support Squadron intercontinental ballistic missile senior combat crew instructor, was given the opportunity to chase a dream he had for most of his life - to change career fields and work as a space systems operator.

  • CMSAF discusses ‘way ahead’ for Airmen

    The Air Force’s top enlisted leader focused on the future force, the new enlisted evaluation system and professional development during the Air Force Sergeants Association Professional Airmen’s Conference here Aug. 19.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody addressed an audience of Airmen,

  • Changes to academic degree and developmental education expectations

    Air Force officials announced actions designed to set clear expectations, restore Airmen's time and refocus officer promotions on job performance.The Air Force has addressed long-standing perceptions that to be promoted, officers must complete an advanced academic degree, and those officers selected

  • CMSAF, Congressional representatives discuss military family life

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody participated in a Congressional Military Family Caucus at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, Aug. 14, affording more than one hundred military family members the opportunity to discuss various issues with congressional representatives and Air Force

  • Goodwill through the language of civil engineering

    U.S. Air Force civil engineers communicated with Mongolian contractors and worked with MAF engineers to help improve the quality of life in local schools and clinics, said Senior Master Sgt. Sandon Miller, lead civil engineer for PACANGEL 14-4 assigned to the 354th Civil Engineer Squadron.

  • Aug. 15 – Pulse on AF force management

    Featured in this force management update are details regarding changes to the reduction in force board eligibility, enlisted retention and force shaping board results and the ongoing civilian force management programs.



  • First pipeline F-35 crew chiefs graduate

    Nine Airmen became the first Air Force recruits to graduate initial skills technical training as F-35 Lightning II crew chiefs after completing Mission-Ready Airmen training here Aug. 7."The opportunity to be the first of something so important means a lot. I know many people are looking at us to be

  • New rotation takes reigns at Powidz AB, Poland

    With a shrill squeal, rubber met road as two C-130J Super Hercules' touched down Aug. 14, at Powidz Air Base, Poland -- their crews ready to begin a flying training deployment in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, or OAR.

  • CSAF Call to Airmen: 2015 Reading List

    The Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III has issued a call to all Airmen, to help create the 2015 CSAF Professional Reading Program, asking for submissions that center on the profession of arms and more specifically the Air Force core values: Integrity first, service before self

  • CHIEFchat: ACAs and the future Enlisted Performance Reports

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody addressed the Airman Comprehensive Assessment, or ACA, how it influences enlisted performance reports, and how those reports will affect future promotions during his latest CHIEFchat at Defense Media Activity, here.

  • Obama praises success of humanitarian operations in Iraq

    President Barack Obama has announced an end to the siege of Iraq's Mount Sinjar where Iraqi Yezidis had fled to escape Sunni terrorists, and that U.S. airdrops to those who were trapped there will likely end. But he said airstrikes will continue to protect Americans in the country.

  • Greece, US plan for successful air training

    They had been in the room for nearly six hours. The planners scoured the map of Greece, searching for just the right area to place an enemy missile defense system, or an enemy airfield, or one of hundreds of other highly defended military targets

  • New inspection system taking form at Nellis

    The publication of Air Force Instruction 90-201, Air Force Inspection System, brought fundamental changes to the way the base conducts inspections. Under the new system, units will no longer be spending weeks and months preparing for a one-week inspection from the Air Combat Command Inspector

  • Kunsan sexual assault prevention, response team brings home AF-level award

    The 8th Fighter Wing Sexual Assault Response Coordinator Maj. Daniel Giannavola, and Deputy SARC, Capt. Poonsak Kajonpong, were announced as the Air Force-level winners for the Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention Innovation Award for the timeframe of Oct. 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014.

  • Defense Health Agency makes progress

    As the Defense Health Agency approaches its one-year anniversary Oct. 1, it has already saved money and standardized health care in the Defense Department, said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.

  • B-52 aircrews hone long-range ISR capabilities

    Airmen from Air Force Global Strike Command recently took advantage of a multinational U.S.. Southern Command-led exercise to hone their long-range reconnaissance capabilities. The 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, flew a B-52 Stratofortress bomber on a nonstop mission from the

  • Journalist recalls travels with Robin Williams

    U.S. service members truly lost a friend with the death of Robin Williams yesterday, Aug. 11. Williams made multiple USO tours to Iraq, Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf, Bahrain, Kuwait and other bases in Southwest Asia to give soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and DoD civilians a little taste of

  • ANG Outstanding Airmen honored

    The six Air National Guard 2014 Outstanding Airmen of the Year shared their inspiring field experiences and enthusiasm with senior leadership at the Air National Guard Readiness Center here during the "Focus on the Force Week," held Aug. 4-7.

  • AF implements static EPR closeout dates, eliminates change of reporting

    The first in a series of changes to the enlisted evaluation and promotion systems announced July 31 will include implementation of The SCOD also drives adjusted active-duty promotion eligibility cutoff dates for promotion to technical and master sergeants; all other grades are unchanged.

  • Air Force's new maritime radar becomes operational

    The Air Force Technical Applications Center has a welcome addition to its treaty monitoring capabilities - the Cobra King radar system aboard the USNS Howard O. Lorenzen. Cobra King is a new, state-of-the-art mobile radar system consisting of S- and X-band phased radars that AFTAC employs to provide

  • 2 Airmen join Army's elite

    The Army Ranger School students were all looking forward to the few hours of precious sleep they were about to get after a long day of training on Mount Yonah, a mountain in the Chattahoochee National Forest in Georgia.

  • Altus breaks ground for KC-46A construction

    Officials broke ground on a new construction project on Altus Air Force Base, Okla., Aug. 7. The ceremony marked the beginning of a months-long effort to prepare for the arrival of the newest refueling aircraft in the Air Force fleet, the KC-46A Pegasus.

  • Luke civilian earns coveted Marquez award

    An aircraft armament systems technician at Luke Air Force Base, in Arizona, distinguished himself by earning the 2013 Air Force Lt. Gen. Leo Marquez Award for Outstanding Munitions/Missile Maintenance Person of the Year, civilian technician category. It was announced July 22.

  • Unusual sport calls fuels Airman to France

    Cycle polo? What in the world is cycle polo? That's a thing? These are questions Staff Sgt. Jonathan MacPherson, a 673rd Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Management Flight fuels service center controller, is accustomed to hearing.

  • Air Force launches strategic approach to asset management

    The Air Force Civil Engineer Center recently rolled out the first comprehensive two-year Integrated Priorities List to strategically order funding of sustainment, restoration, modernization, environmental and demolition projects across the Air Force portfolio.

  • SAPR orientation provides cohesion across Air Force

    The Sexual Assault Prevention and Response coordinators from each Air Force major command attended the first-ever three-day orientation and training here, July 29 -31, to discuss issues and innovations with Air Force SAPR top leaders and subject matter experts.

  • Air Force tests new chief master sergeant EPR form

    Air Force leaders will test the newly developed AF Form 912, Enlisted Performance Report (CMSgt), during the calendar year 2014 Regular Air Force Command Chief Master Sergeant Screening Board, which convenes at the Pentagon in September, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

  • Deployed loadmasters use new airdrop system

    A C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron completed an airdrop for the Afghan National Army using the new Wireless Gate Release System Aug. 1, at Bagram Airfield Afghanistan.

  • ANG, Reserve engineers refurbish Boy Scout camp

    Guard and Reserve civil engineers from around the country are using their skills here to refurbish Camp William Hinds for the Boy Scouts of America.Through the Department of Defense's Innovative Readiness Training program, or IRT, military construction units partner with civil organizations for

  • Team works to solve POV shipment issues

    Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command and U.S. Transportation Command are standing up a team of transportation experts this week to quickly address the most significant challenges and concerns military customers are facing when shipping their privately owned vehicles.On May 1,

  • Airman finds true passion in mechanic career

    Let's face it; every guy has an inner child screaming to get out. And what little boy doesn't like ripping apart his toys and making a mess of things? But the older most men get the more expensive and fancier the toys. Senior Airman Christopher Moore, a vehicle mechanic with the 386th Expeditionary

  • Intel NCO named best AF pistol shooter

    The NCOIC for intelligence for the 705 Combat Training Squadron at Kirtland AFB has become the No. 1 pistol shooter in the Air Force.Staff Sgt. Terrence Sears, NCO in charge of the Air Force National Pistol Team, took top honors among Air Force shooters at the National Pistol Championships in July,

  • Mission-ready Airman course graduates 11,000 strong

    The 372nd Training Squadron’s Detachment 12 graduated its 11,000th mission-ready Airman, or MRA, here recently. With their training complete at Luke Air Force Base, the newly-graduated crew chiefs will be able to use their specialized skills at their first permanent assignment.

  • Helicopter operations group stands up in Wyoming

    The newly-formed 20th Air Force helicopter operations group plants its roots at F.E. Warren Air Force Base Aug. 1. The group assumes control of the helicopter squadrons across 20th Air Force sometime next year after it ends its provisional status, said Col. Dave Smith, the helicopter operations

  • Aircrew flight equipment shop to save $250K at Travis AFB

    Answering the call of Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer, Airmen from Travis Air Force Base’s aircrew flight equipment shop questioned the norm of a well-established process that eventually led to a local annual savings of nearly $250,000.

  • Culture change: Aviation safety in healthcare

    The Air Combat Command Surgeon General's office pioneered a program bringing operational risk management and flightline safety procedures into hospitals and dental squadrons across the Air Force.