Nov. 21, 2023 Largest-ever PACS concludes, enhancing competitive advantages for 22 nations The four-day symposium was held to foster regional security, stability, interoperability, leadership development, knowledge exchanges, and to ensure a shared understanding of challenges throughout the Indo-Pacific.
Nov. 21, 2023 Air Force, Coast Guard partner for rescue exercise Airmen and Coast Guardsmen partnered for a simulated water rescue of a downed pilot during exercise Mosaic Tiger 24-1.
Nov. 20, 2023 RPP application process open through Dec. 9 Active duty Air Force officers and enlisted Airmen who are interested in becoming rated officers can apply for the Spring 2024 Air Force Rated Preparatory Program now through Dec. 9.
Nov. 20, 2023 AFIMSC leads new ACE, military pilot training mission beddown project The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center is leading a more than $500 million facilities construction project to facilitate expeditionary skills training and military pilot training at Ebbing ANG Base, Ark.
Nov. 19, 2023 US Air Force upgrades eye protection for aircrew Comprised of eight different devices and known as the Block 3 family of products, the eyewear will provide protection from laser threats and introduces a combined laser and ballistic protection capability for the first time.
Nov. 18, 2023 New initiatives continue to drive civilian talent acquisition changes across command Continued evaluation of current policies and cross-component partnerships are enabling ongoing processes improvements to drive down timelines and find talent needed to execute AFMC’s mission.
Nov. 17, 2023 Around the Air Force: CSAF Letter to Airmen, Red Hawk Arrives, Digital Promotion Testing In this week’s look around the Air Force, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin lays out his priorities in a letter to Airmen, the new T-7A training aircraft enters the next phase of developmental flight, and enlisted promotions testing goes digital.
Nov. 16, 2023 Milestone met in 6th annual financial statement audit year The fund balance with treasury material weakness, representing 44% of all assets tracked on the DAF financial statements, was fully remediated, making the DAF the first department in the DoD to achieve this milestone.
Nov. 16, 2023 US Air Force concludes participation in multinational Atlantic Trident 2023 exercise U.S. Air Force Airmen from RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall concluded their participation in Atlantic Trident 2023 Nov. 10 after working alongside French and British aircrews.
Nov. 15, 2023 Pacific air chiefs gather to address regional security, strengthen partnerships The week-long event focuses on applying global lessons to challenges of regional security and is the largest biannual air chief symposium to date, with 22 countries attending.
Nov. 15, 2023 Reserve Component launches direct commission program; constructive service credit for cyberspace warfare operations career field The Department of the Air Force has announced that the Air Reserve component has initiated a direct commission and constructive service credit program memo for people interested in serving in the cyber security and cyberspace warfare operations career fields.
Nov. 15, 2023 CMSAF tours AFRL during visit to Wright-Patterson AFB CMSAF Bass visited multiple Wright-Patterson AFB facilities, including a stop at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s 711th Human Performance Wing.
Nov. 15, 2023 DAF expanding childcare subletting app to all child development centers Kinderspot was the top idea at the 2020 AFIMSC Innovation Rodeo. AFIMSC initially awarded the project $333,000 and secured additional funding for development through a price-matching Small Business Innovation Research contract.
Nov. 11, 2023 Beale AFB pilots new Multi-Capable Airman course The intent of the course is to develop Airmen who are proficient in their primary AFSC by equipping them with expeditionary skills and training which they can employ in deployed environments or on home station if needed.
Nov. 9, 2023 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.
Nov. 9, 2023 T-7A Red Hawk arrival at Edwards AFB reflects integrated team effort The aircraft is the first production representative jet off the assembly line and was piloted by a joint U.S. Air Force and Boeing aircrew.
Nov. 8, 2023 Secretary Kendall attends EADS CBC2 success, modernization milestone The event marked a pivotal milestone in the service’s modernization of tactical command and control capabilities as part of the Advanced Battle Management System portfolio of efforts.
Nov. 7, 2023 JB MDL completes KC-46A Pegasus AFFORGEN certification Jointly, these squadrons sharpened their skills to generate, fly and deliver airpower superiority. Airmen implemented agile combat employment concepts in simulated deployed scenarios, testing their proactive and reactive responses with limited personnel and equipment.
Oct. 30, 2023 Valuable Air Force, dual-use startup connections made at showcase event The new merge of Banshee Innovation Training and Air Force Labs with MassChallenge programs culminated in a showcase event at MassChallenge’s Boston offices Oct. 25.
Oct. 29, 2023 Travis AFB explodes into Exercise Golden Gateway The readiness exercise hosted by Travis AFB demonstrated total force integration from partner units including the 349th Air Mobility Wing.
Oct. 26, 2023 AFWERX Prime, FAA agree to share flight-test information AFWERX Prime and the Federal Aviation Administration announced they have agreed to share flight-test data to accelerate the safe integration of Advanced Aircraft Mobility platforms into the National Airspace System Oct. 25.
Oct. 23, 2023 Digital design concept wins AFMC Spark Tank Integrated Capabilities Challenge The AFMC Spark Tank is an annual competition that leverages the inherent innovation of Airmen and Guardians, empowering them to use their problem-solving skills and creativity to solve the service’s most critical needs.
Oct. 22, 2023 AI research robots key to ‘democratizing and revolutionizing science,’ world-class AFRL researcher says AFRL researcher Dr. Benji Maruyama and his team are seeking industry and academic partners to help them transition open-source autonomous experimentation software to public school classrooms to help foster the next generation of young scientists.
Oct. 21, 2023 100th ARW's KC-135s first tankers in USAFE equipped with RTIC data link Some KC-135 Stratotankers have recently been fitted with the Real-Time Information in the Cockpit system – more commonly known as “RTIC” – giving them the ability to see tactical data link information in the jet.
Oct. 19, 2023 'Ask an MTI' informs recruiters, helps bridge gap for recruits heading to BMT Recruits heading to BMT can ask questions in a recruiter-facilitated web chat with an MTI, thanks to a 37th TRW initiative to better prepare the Air and Space Force’s next generation of trainees for the rigors of training.
Oct. 19, 2023 CMSAF focuses on future Air Force during Tinker AFB visit During the visit, Bass heard from Airmen, highlighted the top priorities of senior leaders in the Air Force, as well as what Airmen can expect in the coming years.
Oct. 18, 2023 First AFFORGEN deployers depart Travis AFB The newly implemented AFFORGEN model aims to reconstitute manpower, aircraft and equipment into force elements that train, deploy and recover as cohesive units throughout each phase of the 24-month cycle.
Oct. 17, 2023 C-130H avionics goes digital with major modernization upgrade The update, called Avionics Modernization Program Increment 2, is a significant improvement to the almost 60-year-old aircraft’s avionics and navigation systems.
Oct. 16, 2023 CMSAF underscores need for 137th SOW multi-capable Airmen Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass encouraged every service member she met to understand the “why” of the Air Force’s prioritization of learning multiple skill sets and becoming multi-capable Airmen.
Oct. 8, 2023 Climatic lab returns home under 96th Test Wing After almost eight years, Eglin Air Force Base’s McKinley Climatic Lab returns to 96th Test Wing possession as of Oct. 1.
Oct. 5, 2023 AFSOC embraces extended reality to enhance readiness Extended reality is revolutionizing the way Air Force Special Operations Command is approaching training and readiness.
Oct. 5, 2023 Energy Action Month highlights the critical role energy plays in strategic competition Embracing the Department’s three-year theme of “Powering Possibility,” the installation energy program is pursuing a series of pilot initiatives that showcase the department’s forward-looking approach to energy innovation and powering the future force in the face of growing operational threats.
Sept. 29, 2023 Around the Air Force: Enlisted Airmanship Continuum, MCA Training Framework, New Coaching Website In this week’s look around the Air Force, the Enlisted Airmanship Continuum provides Airmen new development opportunities, there’s new Multi-Capable Airmen training roadmap, and a new website gives resources to find or become a professional coach.
Sept. 27, 2023 DoD to establish AI Battle Labs in EUCOM, INDOPACOM These multi-classification labs will collect operational theater data — ranging from logistics to cyber — and share it with the DoD enterprise, providing central hubs for digital integration among federal entities, industry, coalition partners and American citizenry.
Sept. 26, 2023 Kadena AB generates airpower in ACE exercise The U.S. Air Force’s ability to rapidly generate airpower at a moment’s notice was put to the test at Kadena Air Base, when the 18th Wing conducted a no-notice agile combat employment exercise Sept. 22.
Sept. 26, 2023 Emerging Technologies Integrated Test Force takes delivery of first eVTOL aircraft The Emerging Technologies Integrated Test Force is the lead element tasked with testing and evaluating the technology for future national defense applications.
Sept. 25, 2023 Air Force to field new body armor carrier systems for aircrew Aircrew operating across 20 different rotor, tilt-wing, and fixed-wing aircraft will receive new body armor carrier systems as part of an effort to update and replace older models.
Sept. 21, 2023 Air Force accepts first T-7 Red Hawk, more testing The U.S. Air Force accepted the first of five T-7A Red Hawks from the Boeing Co. highlighting a new advanced training system developed to replace the aging T-38 Talon.
Sept. 20, 2023 Air Force releases Enlisted Airmanship Continuum The Air Force published a letter to Airmen detailing updates to the enlisted force development model. The model reflects the new Enlisted Airmanship Continuum, a series of changes aiming to provide new development opportunities to Airmen.
Sept. 20, 2023 US, Canadian forces sharpen abilities in austere Alaskan region Forces in support of Operation Noble Defender, an operation supporting the NORAD and USNORTHCOM Homeland Defense Campaign plan, demonstrated their ability to operate in the dynamic Arctic region including unfavorable weather and the austere environment.
Sept. 19, 2023 US facilitates Philippine Air Force AOC, ISR training At the request of the Philippine government, 505th Training Squadron sent instructors to train 28 members of the Philippine Air Force’s 300th Air Intelligence and Security Wing and 5th Fighter Wing at Villamor Air Base, Philippines, Aug. 10-19.
Sept. 18, 2023 SecAF announces Air Task Force model Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall announced the Air Task Force as the next step in the Air Force’s Force Generation model during the Air and Space Forces Association’s 2023 Air, Space and Cyber Conference.
Sept. 18, 2023 Air Force introduces MCA training framework The Multi-Capable Airman training framework provides a consolidated training and educational approach for Airmen to conduct a wide range of military operations.
Sept. 15, 2023 Around the Air Force: New PT, Uniform Standards for EPME, Interoperability with Marines, Autonomous Flight Moves Forward In this week’s look around the Air Force, Enlisted Professional Military Education courses have new uniform and fitness requirements, Creech AFB Airmen work with Marines in California, and a new proving ground for automated flight has its first successful test.
Sept. 14, 2023 AFWERX 'Spark Street' takes over 2023 Air, Space and Cyber Conference AFWERX showcased the innovation from Spark Cells around the world at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Sept. 11-13. The aisle of four booth spaces at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center was called "Spark Street" where hundreds of
Sept. 12, 2023 Allvin stresses need to modernize, transform Air Force during Senate confirmation hearing Gen. David W. Allvin told a Senate committee Tuesday that, if confirmed as the next Air Force Chief of Staff, he will press hard to follow through on modernizing and reshaping the service to meet current and emerging threats.
Sept. 12, 2023 US Air Force, RAF leaders sign Combined Vision Statement on Agile Combat Employment U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force leaders committed to future collaboration on Agile Combat Employment as they signed a Combined Vision Statement Sept. 12, 2023.
Sept. 12, 2023 AETC commander advocates for empowered Airmen, mission command focused training during AFA Robinson shared his message to the force about why building an innate warrior mindset within Airmen and Guardians is critical for peer-to-peer competition in the context of the National Defense Strategy.
Sept. 11, 2023 Richardson highlights AFMC’s integral role in next-gen bomber program during AFA keynote Using the acquisition and fielding of the Air Force’s newest bomber as a backdrop, Gen. Duke Z. Richardson emphasized the critical role the organization maintains in outpacing and deterring the People’s Republic of China in a high-profile address.
Sept. 10, 2023 NORAD, FAA long-range radar back in operation after catastrophic failure in Nevada After suffering a catastrophic failure at the Common Air Route Surveillance Radar in Battle Mountain, a team of experts was formed to develop a strategy for its reconstruction and reintegration into the National Airspace System.
Sept. 9, 2023 Mountain Medic 23 tests joint-service medical evacuation readiness in austere environment Soldiers, Airmen and Guardians from multiple units participated in Exercise Mountain Medic 23, designed to simulate the evacuation and treatment of injured personnel in a joint-service austere battle zone.
Sept. 8, 2023 CSAF visits 90th MW, engages with Airmen Brown visited with members of the 90th Missile Wing to engage with and hear from Airmen and to have an in-depth immersion of the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM weapon system.
Sept. 7, 2023 USAFE-AFAFRICA demonstrates breakthrough mobile MQ-9A satellite launch, recovery package The SLR-P offers a compact, "wallet-sized" innovation poised to launch and recover the MQ-9A at strategic theater locations situated in some of the most rugged, remote outposts in Europe.
Sept. 5, 2023 SECURE platform enhances security enterprise capabilities A new tool called the Security Enterprise Communication and User Reporting Environment, or SECURE, aims to streamline operations, reduce data isolation and redundancy, and optimize resource usage across the security enterprise.
Sept. 5, 2023 'Serving during a consequential time': Top enlisted leader engages with Airmen at Joint Base Andrews Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass recently discussed current and future challenges for Airmen while speaking with Joint Base Andrews personnel.
Sept. 4, 2023 AFW2 roadshow visits Grand Forks AFB During the two-day visit, four AFW2 ambassadors and program team members gave briefings to various squadrons, allowing the volunteers to share their personal testimonies.
Sept. 3, 2023 Popular AFRL invention supports joint military needs with mobile medical documentation BATDOK is a smartphone application for mobile medical documentation that replaces pen and paper records.
Sept. 2, 2023 Malmstrom AFB pilots, flight engineers attend first Grey Wolf Type 1 training The Type 1 crew began their 32-day training in the classroom together, the pilots and flight engineers separated at the 10-day mark to focus on their specific job training.
Aug. 31, 2023 Air Force, Army Battle Labs work with DARPA on ASTARTE, new C2 capability Shadow Operations Center-Nellis, also known as the U.S. Air Force’s ABMS Battle Lab, recently experimented with joint partners that helped evolve a new joint airspace management and joint fires capability.
Aug. 31, 2023 DAF unveils art commemorating 75 Years of Air and Space Power DAF celebrated the 75th Anniversary of Air and Space heritage in September 2022 and commissioned the art to help tell the stories of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.
Aug. 30, 2023 Airmen, Guardian, Soldiers lead the way during Ranger Assessment Course Fifteen Airmen, 15 Soldiers and one Guardian tested their limits during a Ranger Assessment Course, the Air Forces’ version of the Army’s Small Unit Ranger Tactics, or SURT.
Aug. 28, 2023 DoD announces changes to special leave accrual policy for service members The revised provisions of section 701 U.S.C. title 10 reduced the maximum amount of accrued leave that may be retained by a service member at the end of the FY from 120 days to 90 days.
Aug. 27, 2023 AFW2 roadshow visits Minot AFB The AFW2 team, including program managers and ambassadors, visited Airmen from the 5th SFS and the 91st SFG. They shared stories from their careers and how they came to be a part of the AFW2 Roadshow team.
Aug. 26, 2023 B-52 pilot to compete in Ironman World Championship First Lt. Tara DeGeorge will compete in the 2023 Ironman World Championship taking place in Finland.
Aug. 24, 2023 DAF senior leaders speak at Air Force Sergeants Association conference The three-day event focused on understanding the strategic competition, the role of service members in building the Force of the Future, professional development, networking and insights from senior service leaders.
Aug. 23, 2023 Air Force announces CY24 promotion board schedule, aligns to officer SCODs The Air Force announced the 2024 promotion board schedule Aug. 22, which marks the transition to align most promotion boards with their associated evaluation closeout dates.
Aug. 23, 2023 AFIMSC tackles dorm, child care center needs with $1.6 billion improvement plan The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center is upgrading quality-of-life infrastructure through its multi-layered construction.
Aug. 20, 2023 8 EAMS innovates, provides joint airlift across COCOMs The 8th EAMS coordinated airlift operations with the HM-15 DET IIA to expedite the transport of troops-in-contact ground support equipment for a U.S. Army unit in the U.S. Central Command theater of operations.
Aug. 19, 2023 7th MXG leverages new technology The 7th Maintenance Group recently fielded its first-ever wireless communication system during a B-1B Lancer launch, becoming the first B-1B unit to receive and utilize the headsets.
Aug. 17, 2023 Nevada Air Guard helps battle western wildfires The Nevada ANG will support wildland firefighting operations in several western states. So far this fire year, 85 fires have burned 546,988 acres in 12 states.
Aug. 16, 2023 Recipients of Harold Brown Award 2021, 2022 honored at Pentagon ceremony Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall hosted an award ceremony at the Pentagon for recipients of the 2021 and 2022 Harold Brown Award, Aug. 8.
Aug. 15, 2023 Airmen train for space operations during Vulcan Guard The Ohio Air National Guard’s 178th Wing hosted an iteration of the Vulcan Guard space exercise, bringing together U.S. Space Command, the Brazilian military and all seven National Guard states conducting space operations.
Aug. 14, 2023 Minot AFB develop prototype gloves for extreme cold temperatures Minot AFB's innovation cell, Atomic Spark, delivered an innovative solution that will be beneficial to Airmen during extreme cold weather.
Aug. 9, 2023 DoD releases findings from independent panel review of Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance Effort The National Defense Authorization Act of 2023 directed the DAF chief scientist to assemble an independent panel of experts and conduct a review of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance efforts.
Aug. 8, 2023 People, purpose, passion: Air National Guard affixes focuses at leadership symposium More than 200 Guard Airmen attended the 2023 Air National Guard Enlisted Leadership Symposium in Alexandria, Virginia Aug. 2-4.
Aug. 8, 2023 Air Force selects 9K for E5 promotion The staff sergeant promotion list will be available on the Air Force Personnel Center public website Aug. 10 at 8 a.m. CDT. Airmen will also be able to access their score notices on the virtual Military Personnel Flight via the AFPC Secure page.
Aug. 7, 2023 Brandon Act expedites mental health care referrals for Airmen, Guardians The Brandon Act is intended to help identify and get care for mental health concerns by making it easier to access – and required of leaders to take seriously – mental health support by referencing “The Brandon Act” when they need a referral to mental health services.
Aug. 5, 2023 AFCEC plays vital role in DAF climate plan initiatives AFCEC has a significant role in climate change initiatives intended to enhance resiliency at Air Force installations by addressing the risks severe weather poses to infrastructure, operational capabilities and readiness as outlined in the DAF Climate Campaign Plan.
Aug. 3, 2023 Eglin AFB fish removed from endangered species list The Okaloosa darter is a two-inch, perch-like fish unique and critical to the balance of six clear stream systems within Eglin and draining into two Choctawhatchee Bay bayous in Walton and Okaloosa counties in northwest Florida.
Aug. 2, 2023 Davis-Monthan AFB identified as AFSOC’s next power projection wing The 492nd Special Operations Wing is slated to become a power projection wing with all of AFSOC’s mission capabilities.
Aug. 1, 2023 Travis AFB welcomes its first KC-46A Pegasus The KC-46A aircraft will be operated by the 6th and 9th Air Refueling Squadrons for the active component and the 70th and 79th Air Refueling Squadrons for the Air Force Reserve Command.
July 30, 2023 CSTR proof of concept tests Defender unit-led training, equipment delivery The Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center established combat support training ranges across the enterprise with a security forces-focused proof of concept exercise at the Silver Flag site on Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, July 17-28.
July 29, 2023 76th CMXG starts sand casting aluminum parts The 76th Commodity Maintenance Group’s new foundry can sand cast aluminum parts up to 120 pounds, providing another avenue for sourcing aircraft parts not easily obtained through traditional contracting methods.
July 27, 2023 SecAF visits 90th MW Airmen, serves as rodeo grand marshal Kendall visited F.E. Warren to connect with Airmen of the 90th Missile Wing and hear about the quality of life there, speak with city leaders about local challenges and successes in the community, and to learn about the intercontinental ballistic missile mission and modernization efforts.
July 26, 2023 Connected battlespace modernizes fight in Indo-Pacific Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Air Refueling Wing, working with the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Test Center, sent their modified KC-135 Stratotanker to Kadena Air Base for use in the Western Pacific during Northern Edge 23-2.
July 26, 2023 Kadena AB aces dispersed operations during Northern Edge 23-2 U.S. service members integrated with Japan Self-Defense Forces, French air and space forces and other allies and partners to enhance Agile Combat Employment capabilities from dispersed locations during Northern Edge 23-2, July 2-21.
July 25, 2023 Multi-capable equipment initiative wins 2023 AFIMSC Innovation Rodeo An idea to deliver multi-capable equipment for agile combat employment operations won the 2023 Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center Innovation Rodeo July 21 in San Antonio.
July 24, 2023 AMC's largest global exercise proves success in Indo-Pacific theater The debut of the exercise in the Indo-Pacific saw 70 mobility aircraft with more than 3,000 service members from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. surge across an exercise area spanning 13 million square miles.
July 24, 2023 12th ACCS flies last mission with KOMODO 1 crew The 12th Airborne Command and Control Squadron flew its last Joint STARS flight as KOMODO 1 at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, on July 12.
July 22, 2023 Mobility Guardian 23 sharpens AFMC’s warfighter support Air Force Materiel Command logisticians have worked behind the scenes on Exercise Mobility Guardian 23 since Fall 2022 and are critical to the successful planning and execution of Air Mobility Command’s largest, and arguably most challenging, exercise in years.
July 19, 2023 CMSAF visits 501st CSW Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass visited the 501st Combat Support Wing July 11-13.
July 18, 2023 DAF leaders join Royal Air Force at Royal International Air Tattoo 2023 RIAT is heralded as the largest airshow in the world, typically attracting more than 150,000 spectators over the course of a weekend.
July 17, 2023 Wedgetail Trilateral Joint Vision Statement signed at Royal International Air Tattoo A joint vision statement was signed by heads of the Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and the United States Air Force, setting out their mutual intent to work collaboratively on the development of their countries’ Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft.
July 16, 2023 Project Arc seeks innovators to solve DAF challenges The program is looking for Airmen and Guardians from all occupations who are obsessed with tech, have a curiosity to tinker and want to solve problems.
July 15, 2023 AFRL Airlift Challenge tests AI-based logistics for future operations The Air Force Research Laboratory, hosted an Airlift Challenge competition in January 2023. This online competition is helping to advance state-of-the-art planning algorithms for executing airlift operations for the United States Air Force.
July 13, 2023 CMSAF holds all-call with Scott AFB Airmen As the voice of the Air Force’s enlisted corps, Bass travels worldwide visiting Air Force installations and ensuring the voices of the enlisted force are heard.
July 10, 2023 KC-135 serves as platform for multiple missions over Germany, Netherlands Members of the 86th AES conduct monthly training with the 93rd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron in a KC-135 Stratotanker to maintain familiarity with the aircraft.
July 7, 2023 Stories of Service: When raising your right hand makes a difference Senior Master Sgt. Christopher Reedy and Maj. Kyle Konkolics received the Distinguished Flying Cross for their heroic role in a rescue mission of an American hostage in Africa in October 2020. This is their Story of Service.
July 5, 2023 AMC, allies kickoff Mobility Guardian 23 in Indo-Pacific Exercise Mobility Guardian 2023, Air Mobility Command’s largest full-spectrum readiness exercise in the command’s history, began July 5 in the Indo-Pacific region.
June 30, 2023 Vietnam War pilot returns home The remains of U.S. Air Force pilot Col. Ernest Leo De Soto, who went missing during the Vietnam War, have finally come home.