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  • New school directory guides parents of special-needs kids

    A permanent-change-of-station move prompts its own challenges, but family members with special-needs children face another complexity when looking for the right schools at their new home, a Defense Department official said here July 2.

  • ANG partners with Croatian army for renovations

    Airmen from the 219th RED HORSE Squadron and Minnesota Air National Guard’s 133rd and 148th Civil Engineering Squadrons partnered with the Croatian army June 27, to renovate bathrooms at an elementary school in Ogulin, Croatia.

  • RPAs meet mission goals safe and on time

    Airmen stationed in the continental U.S. and in deployed locations throughout the world drew on decades of Air Force aviation experience to achieve 65 simultaneous remotely piloted combat air patrols last month.

  • Generating Airpower: The heart of an F-16

    When Airman 1st Class Ashton Youngblood was 17 years old, he spent an entire year rebuilding a Ford F-150 pickup truck from the ground up. He didn't know it at the time, but it was just a minor tune-up for what his career had in store.

  • President signs CAP medal into law

    President Barack Obama today signed into law S. 309, the bill awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to Civil Air Patrol for its service during World War II.

  • Travis AFB hosts historic MWD trial

    The Travis Air Force Base trial brought 66 competitors from 29 different agencies to the base, with more than 400 spectators in attendance. The competition tested the ability of military working dog handlers and canines to work in cohesion in the fields of explosives and narcotics detection,

  • CSAF provides ‘initial feedback’ to all commanders

    All supervisors are required to provide subordinates with an initial feedback, outlining expectations, standards and goals they can both work together to achieve. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III led the way by introducing the new Air Force Instruction 1-2 “Commander’s

  • Comptroller notes progress in DOD financial management

    Despite financial uncertainties, the Defense Department has made significant progress in improving financial management, DOD Comptroller Robert F. Hale told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee May 13 while in attendance with military senior leadership.

  • 'Macho Spouse' creator represents AF at top spouse awards

    The husband of an Air Education and Training Command major represented the Air Force in the 2014 Military Spouse of the Year awards ceremony, honoring a spouse from each service. Christopher Pape, husband of Maj. Dana Pape, AETC resources section chief, was one of six representing the services to be

  • Introducing the ‘unnamed conspirator’

    As part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a briefing was held April 18 here, to help educate Airmen on the impact of sexual assault across the service and the nation, and how they can get involved in the fight to change the culture that supports it.

  • Airmen prep Marines for CENTCOM customs mission

    Airmen from the 387th Air Expeditionary Squadron have been preparing the Marine Corps' 2nd Law Enforcement Battalion to assume control of the U.S. Central Command’s customs mission in Southwest Asia. The 387th AES was responsible for clearing more than 5,000 tactical vehicles, 5,500 shipping

  • SecAF, CSAF testify on Air Force posture

    The fiscal and security challenges triggered by budgetary constraints are posing problems for Air Force strategy, the service’s secretary told the Senate Armed Services Committee April 10.

  • Air Force leaders lay out budget priorities, concerns

    Air Force leaders testified April 2, before the Senate Appropriations Committee on their service’s top priorities now and for the future.Joined by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and National Guard leaders and Air Force Reserve leadership, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James

  • CSAF: Budget cuts affect combatant commands

    Painful budget reductions will reduce the future capabilities of combatant commanders, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III told Congress here March 26. Testifying alongside Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James at a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee's defense

  • ‘Transition GPS’ helps troops re-enter civilian world

    Feedback on “Transition GPS,” which prepares service members to enter the civilian workforce, indicates it improves on the program it replaced, the director of the Defense Department’s Transition to Veterans Program office said here March 11.

  • AF undersecretary: Budget uncertainty worries Airmen

    Airmen are worried about budgetary uncertainty, and service leaders pledge to be transparent about priorities and programs available as the service moves forward, Air Force Undersecretary Eric Fanning said here March 11.Speaking to the Defense Writers Group, Fanning told reporters he has heard from

  • SecAF discusses Air Force future, budget during defense summit

    Defense industry leaders and analysts received an insight into the proposed Air Force transformation and a preview of the Fiscal Year 2015 Air Force budget during the Bloomberg Government Defense Transformation Spending and Strategy Summit Feb. 26.

  • Joint airdrop in Greece: Combined efforts key to success

    In true Greek fashion, a few select service members from the Kaiserslautern Military Community area have undertaken a momentous task. Though lacking the same Herculean strength outlined in Greek mythology, these Airmen make up for it with sheer determination and the will to succeed in their task --

  • As utility costs double, AF attorneys fight back

    The smart use of energy and water saves the Air Force money, but a decreasing demand has not overcome an increasing price. While facility energy use has decreased 37 percent since 1999, costs have increased 100 percent.

  • Special agents protect and serve Airmen

    There are bad guys in this world who live their lives trying to destroy, harm and terrorize innocent people. In response to those who prey on the weak, the Air Force relies on special agents to help counter threats and malicious behavior of bad people.

  • Knowledge is power: Cadet, Academy works to end human trafficking

    In 2005, the Defense Department implemented a national initiative against human trafficking, requiring annual Combating Trafficking in Persons awareness training for all military members on how to combat labor trafficking, sex trafficking and child soldiering.

  • POW receives medal seven decades later

    For a former U.S. Army Air Force veteran, a seven-decade long wait ended when Col. James C. Hodges, the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and 87th Air Base Wing commander here, presented the former prisoner of war the POW Medal for services during World War II, Jan. 27, 2014, in the presence of

  • CSAF thanks Edwards AFB Airmen, talks keys to AF success

    Almost a thousand Airmen, government civilians and contractors filled the base theater to hear Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III talk to Edwards Air Force Bases Airmen about current issues and future challenges involving the service.

  • How AF locates, recovers downed aviators

    An isolated military member may be equipped with many survival tools, but perhaps the most important is confidence in the people tasked to conduct his or her rescue. The Air Force’s ability to rapidly deploy and attack the enemy at a moment's notice comes with risk for pilots and other service

  • Deployed civilians exemplify total force, support Airmen

    Two civilian contracting specialists with the 380th Expeditionary Contracting Squadron volunteered to deploy and gave two active-duty service members the opportunity to remain home with their families during the holidays.

  • MyICP gives military spouses new career planning tool

    Military spouses who need guidance on education and careers have a new online tool at their fingertips, a program analyst for the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, known as SECO, said in an interview last week.

  • AF lays to rest an ‘American hero’

    Friends, family members, political leaders, former prisoners of war and service members paid their respects as an Air Force Ace was interred at Arlington National Cemetery Jan. 23.

  • Airman sworn to serve nation, community

    Master Sgt. Phil Ryan received the call early in his shift. It concerned a young man who was sleeping in a car in a grocery store parking lot. The man's mother and girlfriend were concerned for his safety. They feared due to his prior drug abuse and his state of mind, the young man was in danger of

  • Recruiting on track, but officials worry about future

    Military recruiting is going well today, but economic and demographic changes will make the environment more difficult in the future, said Vee Penrod, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for military personnel policy.

  • DOD raises awareness of human trafficking

    Defense Department officials have a zero-tolerance level for human trafficking and have stepped up awareness and education efforts to curb the crime overseas.

  • Ease landlord disputes with few easy steps

    Most disputes between landlords and tenants are caused by one or both of the parties' failure to meet its obligations related to the rental property. There are several steps tenants can take to ensure tenancy is peaceful and dispute-free as possible. Service members and their families should seek

  • POW to personal triumph

    Many people might associate the phrase 'prisoner of war' with service men and women, but a POW can also include non-combatants such as women and children. George "Julie" Kubat, an Air Force spouse and a member of the Fairchild Air Force Base family for roughly 40 years, had a different childhood

  • TAP curriculum available online for separating service members

    Separating service members can participate in the transition assistance program, or TAP, online, Department of Defense officials announced. TAP, now called Transition GPS-Goals, Plans and Success, is designed to help prepare separating and retiring members for life outside of the military. It

  • TRICARE retiree dental program open for new enrollment

    The TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) offers comprehensive dental coverage to all enrolled members. Available to retired service members and their family, retired National Guard and Reserve members and their family, Medal of Honor recipients, their family and survivors, TRDP is currently open

  • Eligible officers, enlisted members offered early retirement

    Staff through senior master sergeants and captains through lieutenant colonels in certain Air Force Specialty Codes may apply to retire with fewer than 20 years of active service under the Temporary Early Retirement Authority, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

  • Final B-52G eliminated under New START

    One rescue saw, two qualified technicians and less than 45 minutes later, the final B-52G Stratofortress accountable under the New START Treaty was eliminated Dec. 19 at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, commonly referred to as "The Boneyard," Davis-Monthan Air Force Base,

  • C-17 crew supports Africa-led peacekeeping support mission

    The Defense Department sent another Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport jet from Burundi to the Central African Republic today in support of the African Union-led International Support Mission in that beleaguered nation.

  • DOD adds synthetic marijuana to random drug testing

    The Defense Department has expanded its zero tolerance for the use of illicit drugs to include synthetic marijuana, also known as "spice," the director of DOD's drug testing and program policy said here today.In an interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel, Army Lt. Col.

  • Airmen support peacekeeping efforts in Central African Republic

    Two U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and a small command and support team are on the ground in Uganda, preparing to conduct airlift operations in support of ongoing peacekeeping operations in the Central African Republic, Army Col. Steve Warren, a Defense Department spokesman, said

  • VA official outlines progress in reducing claims backlog

    A senior Veterans Affairs Department official Dec. 11, outlined progress made by the Veterans Benefits Administration in reducing the backlog of veterans' disability compensation and pension claims by 36 percent since March, attributing the success to the combined impact of transformation

  • AF announces additional force management programs to reduce force size

    Air Force leaders announced force management programs today designed to reduce the force by thousands of Airmen over the next five years as a result of sequestration.Fiscal 2014 force management initiatives are in addition to the announcement made in July, stating the Air Force will implement

  • New year is a perfect time to update contact information, records

    One way Airmen can support that need is by providing alternate email addresses, which will ensure they receive important messages, on or off duty.Military Airmen can update their official email address via the AFPC secure site and civilian Airmen can update theirs via myBiz. Both sites are

  • Steps for PCS: Making sure Fido is 'homeward bound'

    Although they are not flying business class, more than 100,000 pets travel by air each year, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Service members with animals know the importance of having their precious cargo with them every step of the move. Relocating half way around the world or

  • VA warns of marketing scam

    The Department of Veterans Affairs recently posted an alert on its Facebook page warning of a marketing scam targeting veterans.

  • Prepare now for tax season, DOD official advises

    With a month left before the start of tax season, service members should begin gathering documentation to file their 2013 taxes, said the director of the Pentagon's office of family policy and children and youth said. In a recent interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel,

  • Senate hearing targets predatory lending practices

    While programs are in place to combat predatory lending practices that target service members and their families, better rules and enforcement are needed, witnesses told a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Nov. 21.

  • DOD, VA collaborate to serve nation’s veterans

    The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs reaffirmed their commitment to serve and care for the nation’s military veterans in a joint message issued by Acting Undersecretary of Defense Jessica L. Wright and Undersecretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits Allison A. Hickey.

  • Sexual assault 'trial' gives Airmen real life perspective

    It started off as a typical Friday night for many Airmen with their wallets full of money to burn, their stomachs ready to chug the best German beers and their minds ready to explore the undefined possibilities of "hooking up." But for two of them, their alcohol-fueled night would end in a shattered

  • AF leave policy allows permissive TDY to legally marry

    Military members who are unable to legally marry in the state or country where they are assigned can request permissive temporary duty to travel to a state where they can get married, according to an Oct. 15 leave policy update, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

  • Hagel: States refusing same-sex family benefits must comply

    Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel directed the chief of the National Guard Bureau to meet with the adjutants general of nine states to resolve the issue of those states denying ID cards to same-sex spouses at National Guard facilities.

  • Aviano AB F-16 accident report released

    U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa officials released the results of their investigation into the Jan. 28 crash of an F-16 Fighting Falcon over the Adriatic Sea, resulting in the death of the pilot on board.

  • 2014 civilian benefits open season slated

    Open season for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program and the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program will run Nov. 11 through Dec. 9, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

  • Ninth CSAF laid to rest

    A former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Air Force Chief of Staff was laid to rest Oct. 25 in Arlington National Cemetery. Retired Gen. David C. Jones served as the ninth chief of staff from 1974 to 1978 until he was appointed as the ninth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff where he

  • Reservist's amateur radio skills lynch pin for emergency responders

    He flips the switch on his radio, dialing into a local emergency channel and listens in. Focused, he concentrates, listening for the slight crackle of radio traffic.With just dead air floating through the invisible radio waves, he leans into the microphone, pressing down on the mic's element, and

  • Celebrated pilot and Vietnam POW dies at 88

    Retired Brig. Gen. Robinson “Robbie” Risner, a celebrated Korean War jet fighter ace and Vietnam prisoner of war, died Oct. 22 at Bridgewater Retirement Community, Bridgewater, Va. He was 88 years old.

  • Shutdown effects continue on Defense Department, Hagel says

    The government shutdown is over, but it will take a while for the effects to fade, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said at a press conference Oct 17. At the shutdown's height, more than 400,000 Defense Department civilian employees were furloughed because of the lapse of appropriations for the new

  • Government Shutdown: Frequently Asked Questions

    Below are frequently asked questions about the current government shutdown (Updated: Oct. 17, 2013). If you don’t find the answer to a question you have about the government shutdown and its impact on the Air Force, post your question as a comment below. We will research and try to find the

  • New virtual curriculum assists separating troops

    The Defense Department continues to assist service members and their families in preparing for the transition to civilian life with a new virtual curriculum, a Defense Department official said here.

  • AF clarifies same sex marriage policy

    The Air Force recently published guidance clarifying the service’s policy on implementation of same sex marriage. The guidance clarifies how Airmen may be eligible for administrative absence to obtain legal marriage, if the state or country they are stationed in does not yet recognize same sex

  • Unemployment benefits may help some furloughed DOD civilians

    On the 10th day of the partial government shutdown, DOD civilians excluded by law from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's Oct. 7 recall to work of thousands of fellow employees still await an end to the political standoff that sent them home and stopped their paychecks Oct. 1.

  • Public engagement once again affected

    Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has issued The Contingency Plan Guidance for Continuation of Essential Operations, which outlines missions and functions that may continue and/or must cease during the lapse in appropriations. The Department can legally only support those functions that

  • Acting SecAF addresses furloughed workforce

    The Acting Secretary of the Air Force, Eric Fanning, released a statement Oct. 9, about the approximately 800 civilian Airmen who remain furloughed due to the government shutdown.

  • VA secretary warns of shutdown impact on veterans, families

    Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki painted a dire picture today of the impact of the government shutdown on benefits and services to veterans -- from a slowdown in claims reviews to the threat of cancelled compensation checks to more than 5 million beneficiaries if funding isn't restored

  • AF releases furlough-related pay information

    Air Force officials released Oct. 8, the following furlough-related questions and answers to aid service civilians with processing time and attendance. This information was coordinated with manpower and personnel, financial management, and general counsel office experts.

  • New Defense Health Agency to streamline functions

    The government shutdown did not stop the official opening Oct. 1 of the Defense Health Agency, a major streamlining of military medicine that has been in the works for three decades and signed into law earlier this year.

  • Most AF civilians to return to work

    In accordance with a memo Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel released Oct. 5, the Air Force will recall most of the nearly 104,000 Air Force civilian Airmen placed on emergency furlough due to government shutdown. However, a significant number will not yet be able to return.

  • Hagel says national security assured during shutdown

    The Defense Department and other government agencies responsible for national security will carry out their missions despite the government shutdown, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Oct. 1 here. The secretary, traveling in the Asia-Pacific region this week for high-level meetings here and in

  • Affordable Care Act will impact federal civilian employees

    Starting in January, all individuals must maintain minimum health care coverage for themselves and all dependents claimed on their federal tax return, or must qualify for an exemption. Those who do not will be charged a penalty beginning with their 2014 federal tax return.

  • DOD spells out closure contingency plan guidance

    DOD officials today issued guidance to the force in the event appropriations lapse Oct. 1 and a government shutdown results. Officials emphasize they still hope Congress can avoid that but say it is prudent to take such steps.The eight-page document gives basic guidance to commanders and directors

  • Lieutenant beats cancer, selected to pilot Raptors

    For one new Air Force pilot, "living the dream" is much more than a cheap throwaway line. To 1st Lt. Rob Hansen of the 80th Flying Training Wing, "living" means surviving stage 2 Hodgkin's lymphoma. "The dream" means graduating at the top of his undergraduate pilot training class and earning a slot

  • Service chiefs detail 2014 sequestration effects

    The House Armed Services Committee heard testimony on planning for sequestration in fiscal 2014 from Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James F. Amos.

  • Airman saves teen during remote outing

    Sunday afternoon, Sept. 1, Maj. Jaesin White and his family set out on a hike to a popular swimming hole in the Sierra foothills of Northern California. They never suspected the path they followed into the woods that day would lead them into the heart of a grateful stranger.

  • $20 solution solves 14K problem

    12th Flying Training Wing T-38C pilots and maintainers will begin using multi-function display, or MFD, covers this month, saving the wing $182,000 a year in broken MFDs all for only $3,600 - just a little more than a quarter of the price for a repaired MFD.