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  • Bombers train on long-range capabilities

    The mission, which spanned nearly 8,000 miles from home station to the drop site and back to the home installation, tested the ability for planners to coordinate operations between combatant commands and amongst multiple Air Force wings. The 20-plus hour training missions also demonstrated the U.S.'

  • 2014 Hennessy Award winners announced

    Air Force Personnel Center officials recently announced the best food service programs in the Air Force with the selection of the 2014 John L. Hennessy Award for food service excellence.

  • Aviation detachment keeps US-Polish training running smoothly

    "All the expectations you have for a normal assignment -- throw those out the window," said Maj. Micah Chollar, the director of operations for the Detachment of the 52nd Operations Group. "We have to analyze who we have, what our guys bring to the table and what we can do to overcome any challenges

  • Disability claims backlog reduced by 44 percent

    One year after the backlog of pending disability compensation claims peaked at over 611,000 in March 2013, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has reduced that number by approximately 44 percent to 344,000 claims -- a reduction of more than 267,000. At the same time officials have improved the

  • Physical training uniform shortages through summer

    There will be a shortage of improved physical training uniform, or IPTU, pants and jackets this spring and summer. Air Force uniform program officials expect a full stock of IPTU pants and jackets to be available for Airmen to purchase by Oct. 1.

  • TACP run in remembrance

    More than 670 service members and coalition partners completed a total of 2,599 miles during a 24-hour Tactical Air Control Party remembrance run at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, March 27 and 28, to ensure those warriors who have made the ultimate sacrifice are never forgotten.

  • First ever 'Tonnerre Lightning' refining language of war

    British, French, and U.S. Airmen wrapped up the inaugural exercise Tonnerre Lightning 14-1 here and other operating locations March 28. The tri-lateral exercise, which replicates a coalition response to a contingency operation, developed as a method for the U.S., the United Kingdom and France's air

  • myPers is one-stop shop for civilian personnel support

    myPers, the Air Force official online source for personnel policy, information and day-to-day transactions, empowers civilian employees to manage their careers."This resource can save employees an infinite amount of time by providing direct online access to answers and valuable information about

  • Air Force officials stress balance in face of budget constraints

    While testifying on Capitol Hill March 25, DoD’s top personnel leaders all agreed that in light of likely future budget reductions, slowing compensation and benefits growth is a difficult but necessary step to balance the rising cost of personnel with readiness and modernization requirements.

  • 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

  • Alaska National Guard participates in statewide disaster exercise

    Approximately 1,150 Air and Army National Guardsmen from Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Arizona, California, Nevada, Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota and Utah are set to participate in exercise Alaska Shield 2014 across the state, March 27 through April 2.

  • From Chinese citizen to American Airman

    After spending the first 20 years of his life in the capital of one of the largest cities in the Fujian province in China, U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Xing Zheng is now a 633rd Civil Engineering Squadron engineer technician

  • Airmen destroy BLAC ICE

    The 435th Contingency Response Group recently joined security forces from Turkey, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany for a training course on tactical leadership.

  • Maintenance Airmen encompass Forward, Ready, Now

    With a designated flightline office space, the self-proclaimed "quiet professionals" from the 31st Fighter Wing are continuing to support the 555th Fighter Squadron, both of Aviano Air Base, Italy, during their participation in an international training mission hosted by the Polish air force here.

  • New tool provides Offutt AFB maintainers with just the right blend

    A new tool, no bigger than a yard stick, is making work a lot easier for maintenance professionals of the 55th Wing who are responsible for keeping Offutt Air Force Base aircraft flying. The tool stands to save the Air Force hundreds of thousands of dollars.

  • Air Advisors train Afghan pilots and maintainers

    Afghan pilots and aircraft maintainers are a vital part of the Afghan National Air Force and increase its operational capabilities, and with the aid of a group of U.S. advisors, they are making huge strides in that direction.

  • Lieutenant continues legacy started by great uncle, Medal of Honor recipient

    Facing a wave of enemy Communist forces, and knowing that staying behind would likely lead to his capture, Army Chaplain (Capt.) Emil J. Kapaun disregarded the evacuation order and willingly risked his life to tend to the wounded.Kapaun, according to numerous battlefield accounts from the Korean

  • SecAF wraps up Afghanistan tour

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited multiple Air Force units at five bases in Afghanistan, March 19-22. This is her first official visit outside the United States since being appointed in December 2013.

  • Developmental education application windows open in March

    Eligible active duty officers and Department of the Air Force appropriated fund civilian employees can apply beginning in March for intermediate and senior developmental education opportunities, Air Force Personnel Center officials said March 24.

  • Fit to fight or fighting to get fit?

    March is typically focused on the madness of college basketball or growing a fabulous mustache. But it's also a time to watch both what's on the table during your favorite team's game or on the verge of getting caught in that carefully groomed crumb catcher.

  • CSAF showcases Air Force, Airmen to Georgia civic leaders

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III spoke to approximately 180 members of Leadership Georgia, a group of influential state citizens and leaders, about the Air Force's contributions to national security and the innovative spirit of its Airmen at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., March 21.

  • AF undersecretary headlines F-35 unveiling at Luke AFB

    Luke Air Force Base celebrated the arrival of its first F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter with an unveiling ceremony here March 14. The event was attended by approximately 500 people, including elected officials, community leaders, representatives from partner nation air forces and many Luke

  • Five selected for 2015 Olmsted scholarships

    Five Air Force officers have been selected to participate in the Olmsted Scholar Program, sponsored by the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation, Air Force Personnel Center officials said March 20.

  • AF physician assistant named ‘PA of Year’

    It was her first year working as a physician assistant, and a patient had just left her exam room when she heard a burst of gunshots in the distance. Within seconds, screams filled the hospital as people scrambled for cover. In the midst of the chaos, a piercing silence fell over the clinic and her

  • Airmen must revalidate dependents

    By Dec. 31, every Airman will be required to provide their servicing finance office with documentation for all dependents as part of Air Force audit readiness efforts.

  • US begins training sorties in Poland

    U.S. Fighting Falcons assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, began off-site aerial training for the first time since their arrival at Detachment 1, 52nd Operations Group here, March 18.

  • Airman reveals personal resiliency amidst force shaping

    It was 1999 and a young weather officer appeared to have everything going for him: a wife, Linda, two handsome teenage sons whom he adored, J.R. and Ryan, and a promising Air Force career for this prior-enlisted officer.

  • SecAF shares 'way ahead' with USAFE Airmen

    For her first stop during her first overseas trip as the Secretary of the Air Force, Deborah Lee James toured Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and spoke with U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Airmen March 17.

  • Astronauts train at Maxwell AFB

    To prepare for the rigors and dangers of space travel, astronauts attend different training scenarios at facilities all over the world. One Air Force facility at Maxwell Air Force Base was repurposed to suit the astronauts needs.

  • AF recruiter helps build Afghan forces

    Deployed as an adviser with the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing/NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan Senior Master Sgt. Carmelo Vega Martinez, a Ponce, Puerto Rico native is the only Air Force recruiter deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

  • 12 Aviano F16s, support personnel arrive in Poland

    At the invitation of the government of Poland, twelve 555th Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcons and approximately 200 personnel assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, arrived at the U.S. Air Force Aviation Detachment at Lask Air Base, Poland, March 14-15.

  • CSAF: Every budget decision hurts

    The Air Force’s fiscal 2015 budget request was built to ensure its combat power remains unequaled, Welsh told members of the House Armed Services Committee.

  • First female assumes command of ANG fighter wing

    Col. Sherrie McCandless , the first woman selected to command the 124th Fighter Wing and first female wing commander in Idaho Air National Guard history assumed command in a ceremony on March 2, at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho.

  • Cyber supports Red Flag for first time

    For the first time in Red Flag's nearly 40-year history, the 24th Air Force played a significant role in the Cyber Mission Force, or CMF, at the Air Combat Command-sponsored exercise held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Jan. 27 through Feb. 14.

  • Investigation board determines cause of KC-135 crash in May

    Air Mobility Command has released the results of an accident investigation that examined what caused the May 3, 2013, crash of a KC-135 Stratotanker in the Kyrgyz Republic. The crew of three, en route from the Transit Center at Manas to Afghanistan on a combat aerial refueling mission, perished in

  • Minot rescue crew saves two motorists

    Members of the 54th Helicopter Squadron responded to a search and rescue request involving two men trapped in the bed of their truck in Savage, Mont., when an ice flow caused the river to overrun its banks, March 10.

  • AF budget director outlines challenges, opportunities to AFA members

    With the Air Force making every dollar count, the fiscal year 2015 President’s Budget request was presented to the Air Force Association by Maj. Gen. James Martin, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller deputy assistant secretary for budget, March 11, during

  • Squadron, group command applications due April 18

    Eligible line officers interested in 2015 command opportunities must complete and submit senior rater endorsed statements of intent to the Air Force Personnel Center in time to meet the April 18 deadline, AFPC officials said.

  • ‘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.

  • First F-35 Lightning II arrives at Luke AFB

    Escorted by two F-16 fighting Falcons, Luke Air Force Base's first F-35 Lightning II arrived a little after 11 a.m. March 10 from the Lockheed Martin factory in Fort Worth, Tex.

  • First sergeants deploy, discover family members

    Sleep-deprived and weary from days of travel, in a blur of new names and faces, one of the first people most Airmen deploying to the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing meet is their respective unit’s first sergeant.

  • DOD's top enlisted leader honors ACC Airmen, families

    Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke during Air Combat Command’s annual awards dinner, where he lauded troops for their service and their families for their unwavering commitment.

  • CSAF, CMSAF visit Altus AFB

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody and their spouses, Betty and Athena, spent two days here to tour the installation and meet Airmen and their families March 5 and 6. Welsh also served as keynote speaker at the Altus Chamber of Commerce

  • Department of Energy seeks award nominations

    Each year the U.S. Department of Energy sponsors the Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. These awards honor individuals and organizations making significant contributions to the efficient use of energy and water in the federal government. The Air Force looks to stay on top, having won 21

  • DOD's top doc outlines medical advances

    The Defense Department's top doctor says the innovations and technology in military medicine derived from more than a decade of war in Iraq and Afghanistan have led to advances in caring for the sick and injured.

  • Dogs help vets cope with PTSD, trauma

    Though she was home, Capt. Mary McGriff felt no comfort. She was alone but anxious, quiet but uneasy. She felt no safety behind locked doors. The doctor's words rang fresh in her mind, behind splintered memories of her 2005 deployment to Iraq.

  • Through his brothers’ eyes: A Paralympic journey

    In one moment Senior Airman Sean Halsted felt the rough texture of the rope in his hands, and in the next, it was gone. That millisecond was all it took to leave the young Airman with a debilitating injury that would cause him to reassess his entire future.

  • Program executive officer describes F-35 progress

    Progress remains steady in the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter’s operational testing, reprogramming, fueling, and stand-up training, the F-35 program executive officer told an audience at Aviation Week’s Defense Technologies and Requirements Conference here March 4.

  • 6 F-15s, KC-135 to augment NATO mission in Baltics

    This week, the United States will send six additional F-15s and one KC-135 to augment the mission, the official said. These aircraft -- currently based at Lakenheath in the United Kingdom -- will be deployed to Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania.

  • SecAF discusses current, future challenges with ACC Airmen

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited here Feb. 27 to learn about the base mission and discuss the challenges facing the Air Force."This is my introduction to Air Combat Command," she said. "I have seen nothing but enormous energy from the Airmen here as they describe how excited they

  • Air Force presents FY 15 budget request

    The Air Force presented its fiscal year 2015 President’s Budget request today, following similar briefings by the Department of Defense and its sister services.

  • Admin career field to make comeback

    A previous administrative career field will make its second debut across the Air Force in May 2014, providing support staff at all Air Force levels and eliminating a special duty echelon.

  • Social media: Unwanted eyes may be watching Airmen, families

    Social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr can provide an instantaneous and highly entertaining feedback stream of your daily activities to friends and family. The latest videos of dogs running with fireworks in their mouths, kittens tumbling in the snow or Internet memes of celebrity

  • Communications Airmen enable Greek, US flight training

    The success of a flying-training deployment involving U.S. and Hellenic air forces here hinges on an array of variables, and one quick-response communications force is ensuring tactical messages are delivered.

  • 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 --

  • Hagel outlines budget reducing troop strength, force structure

    Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has proposed cuts in military spending that include further reductions in troop strength and force structure in every military service as part of an effort to prioritize U.S. strategic interests after more than a decade of war.

  • SecAF outlines top priorities during ‘State of AF’ address

    After her second month in office, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James laid out her top three priorities as part of a “state of the Air Force” address, during the final day of the 30th annual Air Force Association Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition Feb. 21.

  • Simple tips Airmen should 'take to heart'

    February is designated American Heart Month with the mission to increase awareness about heart health, a growing problem within the Air Force, according to a cardiology consultant to the Air Force surgeon general.

  • U.S. joint capabilities support Thai partners

    The 3rd Wing validated its joint and combined capabilities this week when five C-17 Globemaster III left Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson for Thailand to airdrop paratroopers from the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, to the joint and combined exercise Cobra Gold

  • Aircrews offered a sigh of relief from altitude chamber training

    Capt. Julianne Gillespie, a 62nd Airlift Wing aerospace and operational physiologist, runs the refresher testing at the McChord Field Medical Clinic. The testing is mandatory for all aircrew members in order to learn their own body's warning signs for hypoxia during flight.

  • SecAF: Future force in ready, capable hands

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said Feb. 14 that visits to the Air Force Academy and to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, have given her faith in the Air Force's future.

  • AF and Israeli Defense Force surgeons general sign agreement

    The surgeon general of the Air Force and his counterpart in the Israeli Defense Force signed an agreement Feb. 5 in Israel to reaffirm their mutual commitment to collaboration between the Air Force Medical Service and the IDF Medical Corps.

  • Security forces members receive nuclear-focused breacher training

    About 100 miles northeast of the base here, the Nuclear Security Combat Training Center at Camp Guernsey, Wyo., provides advanced tactics and marksmanship training for security forces members who guard and secure the Air Force’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force.

  • Former Marine military working dog finds new life in the AF

    The passion and love between military working dogs and handlers is part of the job, but not always evident. However, for Senior Airman Samantha Baker and her partner for the past four months, military working dog Penny, the two are often seen walking around the base together.

  • US pilots share skies with former Portuguese classmates

    Two Air Force captains sat in the 301st Fighter Squadron, one of two Portuguese F-16 Fighting Falcon squadrons at Monte Real Air Base, Portugal, while reminiscing about their days at Undergraduate Pilot Training in Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas.