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  • Battle of Mogadishu hero passes, leaves behind legacy

    A former special tactics combat controller responsible for saving dozens of lives at the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia in 1993, was laid to rest recently, leaving behind a far-reaching legacy of valor, professionalism and combat success. Nearly 100 friends, family and teammates gathered to honor

  • AF agency helps ‘bring life’ to mission innovation

    The Air Force Installation Contracting Agency’s Business Intelligence Competency Cell promotes logical research when it comes to operational acquisition. It may seem simplistic when taken at surface value, but what the BICC is doing within the Air Force is ‘bringing life’ to mission innovation. As a

  • Embracing opportunity: Additive technology used for manufacturing

    It’s a materials scientist’s dream, but as some experts say, an engineer’s nightmare. For scientists and engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing, can be a powerful tool for rapid innovation.

  • James visits Malmstrom AFB for final time

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James visited Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, Jan. 5 to discuss morale, innovation and modernization of the nuclear enterprise with Airmen.

  • SecAF highlights progress at AFA breakfast

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James addressed the Air Force Association’s Air Force Breakfast Series Jan. 6, at the Key Bridge Marriot in Arlington, Virginia.

  • AF, NASA partner for mission success

    Developed in the mid-1990s by the NASA Geographic Information System office, the Flood Impact Analysis Tool illustrates the effects of localized tidal storm flooding.

  • Upgrade advances A-10s search capability

    A-10C Thunderbolt IIs assigned to active duty fighter squadrons at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base are in the process of having new lightweight airborne recovery systems installed.The LARS V-12 is designed to allow A-10 pilots to communicate more effectively with individuals on the ground such as

  • Patrol team has unique desert mission

    Members of the 386th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron base security zone patrol team have a more unique mission than the average security forces Airman while on deployment at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.

  • JB Charleston test new equipment, saves AF millions

    An operational evaluation of new synthetic tie downs and winch cables for the C-17 Globemaster III took place here in November 2016. Tie downs are ropes, cords, straps or chains that secure items during airlift operations; winch cables help adjust the tension on tie downs, securing the load.

  • USAF Total Force Band plays in Rose Parade

    The United States Air Force Total Force Band kicked off the Air Force’s 70th birthday celebrations by playing at several venues in Southern California, culminating in an appearance in the 128th Rose Parade Jan. 2.

  • New civilian appraisal program to begin in April

    The Air Force will roll out a new Department of Defense civilian appraisal program in April 2017, designed to improve overall job performance, enhance supervisor and employee communication and more effectively develop and reward the workforce.

  • JSTARS Recap program takes next step with RFP release

    The Air Force is well on its way to replacing a critical airborne battle management command and control weapon system with the Dec. 28, 2016 release of the Development request for proposal, or RFP, for the JSTARS Recapitalization program.

  • Around the Air Force: Dec. 28

    On this look around the Air Force, Airmen from the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing prepare meals for forward deployed service members and B-52s conduct combined joint operations. Hosted by Staff Sgt. Nicholas Koetz.

  • New Year, new you: Take control of your own health

    A new year can mean new opportunities, new discoveries and maybe a few new goals. While the New Year’s Resolution is a common tradition, many of them get abandoned long before the new year is gone again. Setting goals for a healthier you is something everyone can do, if you do it right.

  • Expeditionary aircrew spends Christmas at 30,000 feet

    A fog peeled back slowly from the flight line. Four aircrew members emerged from a transit van sharing witty banter and a few cheerful words as they moved their flight equipment towards a nearby KC-10 Extender.

  • Air mobility squadron expedites the fight

    “You need it, we move it.” That is the saying of Airmen with the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron who enable rapid global mobility every day here at one of U.S. Central Command’s busiest en route stations.

  • Phantom's phinale

    Lt. Col. Ronald King, her pilot, grinned and eased her forward on the way into history. Today was 21 December. This was the final flight of the QF-4 Phantom – the final flight of AF 349 – and after 53 dedicated years of superior service, the final flight of the Phantom II would be done right.

  • Multinational paratroopers fill NC skies

    Instead of snow above North Carolina’s frigid skies, the horizon was filled with paratroopers as they ‘flurried’ to the ground, during the 19th annual Randy Oler Memorial Operation Toy Drop Dec. 5-16.

  • Goldfein visits ISR Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein met with Airmen and leaders at 25th Air Force Headquarters in San Antonio Dec. 19.

  • Air Force needs to grow to 350,000

    In ongoing efforts to size and shape the force to current and future requirements, Air Force officials explained why the service needs to grow to 350,000 active-duty Airmen over the next seven years.

  • AF announces 2016 Information Dominance Award winners

    Lt. Gen William Bender, the Air Force chief of information dominance and chief information officer, recently announced the winners of the 2016 General John P. Jumper Awards for Excellence in Warfighting Integration and the Air Force Information Dominance Annual Awards. The Air Force-level awards

  • Goldfein stands watch with Airmen at F.E. Warren AFB

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein visited Airmen at a missile alert facility in the F.E. Warren Air Force Base missile complex Dec. 19-20. Airmen stand watch 24/7, ensuring the nation’s nuclear deterrence capability is equipped and ready at a moment’s notice. The men and women who

  • Deployed squadron flies combat ops 15 hours after arrival

    When the 134th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron arrived at the 407th Air Expeditionary Group in early December, few people outside the two units would have expected them to generate combat airpower 15 hours after landing.But that is exactly what the Airmen in Southwest Asia did.

  • Largest military solar energy project in Northeast breaks ground on JB MDL

    Miranda A.A. Ballentine, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and energy, and Brig. Gen. Michael Cunniff, the adjutant general of New Jersey, helped break ground on a 98-acre solar farm at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Dec. 21.The 16.5-megawatt solar energy

  • Scoping it out: Shaw evaluated for Reaper mission

    Teams from Air Combat Command and Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, conducted a site survey at Shaw AFB Dec. 13, to assess the base as a candidate for an MQ-9 Reaper mission.Shaw AFB is one of four installations being evaluated for a wing-level mission, and one of five in the running for a

  • AF contingency response wing supports Army exercise

    Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing worked with Soldiers from Fort Wainwright, Alaska, to load 10 AH-64 Apache helicopters and two Stryker armored vehicles in extreme cold weather during the Rapid Alaska Airlift Week exercise Dec. 10-16.

  • ACC hosts chaplain leadership symposium

    Senior religious support teams from around the world met at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in early December for the Air Combat Command Chaplain Corps Leadership Development Symposium.

  • The long journey home

    Long rows of white marble headstones line the landscape of Arlington National Cemetery, each memorializing a fallen U.S. military member with a unique story of service to the nation. Nestled within Section 60 of the sprawling cemetery lies a marker for Air Force Maj. Troy Gilbert, an American

  • Active duty, Guard, Reserve integrate during Checkered Flag 17-1

    Active-duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard Airmen from around the country worked together through total force integration at Checkered Flag from Dec. 5-16. They prepared to rapidly respond to any current, real-world conflict, and trained for the future of air dominance.

  • Coalition launches largest airstrike of the year against ISIL

    The U.S.-led coalition launched one of its largest airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant near Palmyra, Syria, Dec. 8, dealing a significant blow to the terrorist organization’s ability to finance and enable its means of war.

  • Airmen, civilians gain resilience through MMA

    As an Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter gets his hands wrapped and steps into the cage for battle, a cold chill runs down his spine; he’s nervous about the challenge ahead. Comparable to UFC fighters preparing for combat, Airmen may get a similar feeling whether preparing for upcoming

  • AFCENT helps deployed Airmen reach for their dreams

    Deployed Airmen often miss opportunities afforded to those back home; but personnel specialists at Air Forces Central Command headquarters here ensured deployed enlisted Airmen did not miss one opportunity – to pursue their ambitions of becoming part of the first group of enlisted pilots since World

  • Airman provides the logistics behind Obama’s archival move

    Many former presidents have a library in their namesake, showcasing many records and artifacts from their presidency. A library in honor of President Barack Obama is scheduled to open sometime in 2021 in Chicago, where records and archives from his presidency will be on display. However, the

  • AFVSA to implement new RPA childcare

    To combat these one-of-a-kind challenges, personnel from the Air Force Services Activity headquarters in Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, recently met with military members and conducted interviews here where they discussed new and evolving childcare options.

  • The evolution of the combat RPA

    In the 1980s, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency added modern-day technology to the decades old idea of using remotely piloted aircraft for reconnaissance purposes. As a result the Air Force immediately purchased a long-endurance RPA called the GNAT 750, resulting in the creation,

  • Expeditionary group clears way for combat ops

    When the Airmen of the 407th Air Expeditionary Group received notification in mid-October that they would bed down an expeditionary fighter squadron, they didn’t spare a moment getting ready.

  • From gang leader to service member: Airman overcomes odds to find success

    Many Airmen gain leadership skills by progressing through the ranks and taking on more responsibilities. Many times this includes special schooling such as airman leadership school or the non-commissioned officer academy. One Airman became a leader at a much earlier age, before he even joined the

  • Life after loss: One Air Force family’s journey to recovery

    In March 2016, Lt. Col. Melchizedek “Kato” Martinez, a career tactical communications officer, was welcomed home from another combat deployment, a constant in the Martinez family. His wife, Gail, along with their four children, had planned a family retreat to their second home, the one place that,

  • Civilians take the oath

    Just as service members around the country have raised their right hands and taken the oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” so have the civilians who work alongside them.

  • Compass Call targets ISIL through electronic attack

    Military operations are complex. Attacking an adversary requires significant coordination and communication between a commander and their fighters. The fog and friction of war means that even the best laid plans are often adapted on the fly, and competent leaders need the ability to redirect their

  • T-38 maintenance significant to ISR

    Although various personnel provide support to T-38 flying operations a group of mechanics play an integral role. These civilian contractors work to keep the aircraft ready to fly whenever necessary.

  • Special ops surgical team saves hundreds during deployment

    If they stood on the roof of the abandoned one-story home they were working out of, at night they could see bombs dropping on the city three kilometers north. Limited resources, limited manpower, limited backup, and limited time didn’t stop this Air Force Special Operations Surgical Team from

  • Air Mobility Command enables delivery of Israel’s first F-35s

    Air Mobility Command Airmen worked around the clock to ensure Israel’s first two F-35 aircraft were delivered Dec. 12, making the U.S. ally the only country in the Middle East flying a fifth generation fighter aircraft. The 618th Air Operations Center, based out of Scott AFB, Illinois, assigned the

  • Inside look: A sensor operator’s first weapons strike

    The feelings experienced during combat missions can be intense for many aircrew members. For Airman 1st Class Matthew, a 20-year-old 15th Attack Squadron MQ-1 Predator sensor operator, his first air strike was an event he will never forget.

  • Moody 'shields' aircraft from adversaries during CS

    Moody Air Force Base’s aircraft fleet routinely exhibits their abilities by providing mission-ready combat, rescue and transient assets. In order to attack, rescue and prevail, these guardians of the skies must be able to protect themselves, especially from electronic warfare.

  • James visits F.E. Warren, discusses force improvement efforts

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, the deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, visited F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, to speak directly with Airmen about ongoing improvement efforts throughout the nuclear enterprise, Dec. 7-8.

  • Multiple F-35s take to the skies to test communication data links

    All three variants of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter were used by the 461st Flight Test Squadron in recent multi-ship testing, which employs four or six jets to ensure communication systems between the planes are working properly and accurately.  The F-35 contains state-of-the-art tactical data links

  • SECAF’s top 10 themes discussed at spouse, family forum

    During a spouse and family forum hosted by Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James in October, participants submitted more than 170 threads on the forum’s event page. The topics included spouse employment and child care access; Air Force programs for families with special needs; and schools,

  • MQ-1, MQ-9 Millennials make difference on battlefield

    For the one percent of the U.S. population that chooses the path to serve in the armed forces, there are many opportunities. One prospective path in the Air Force lies in the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft enterprise.

  • JTACs enable aerial reaction force mission

    Joint terminal air controllers from the 817th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Squadron out of Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, recently began a partnership with Task Force Fighting Eagle’s aerial reaction force to provide JTAC capabilities to their missions.

  • AF selects 58 for test pilot school

    Air Force officials have selected 58 primary and alternate students for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Naval Test Pilot schools, with classes beginning June 2017.

  • Air Force Agreement Allows Ionospheric Research to Continue

    Because of a recent Cooperative Research and Development Agreement between the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), more than twenty-five years of science and atmospheric research will continue at the High Frequency Active Auroral

  • AFCENT Tankers fuel the fight

    In the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and the Iraqi counteroffensive to liberate Mosul, no nation works alone. In the skies, pilots from 19 nations work tirelessly to dismantle, disrupt and ultimately destroy ISIL by striking infrastructure, roadways and other high-value

  • Falcons to compete in Arizona Bowl, Dec. 30

    Falcons head coach Troy Calhoun said he’s “delighted” Air Force will compete against the University of South Alabama Jaguars Dec. 30 in the Arizona Bowl in Tucson, Arizona.

  • Operation Christmas Drop begins at Guam

    Military members from the U.S. Air Force, Coast Guard and Navy, with international support from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and Royal Australian Air Force are joining forces to airdrop and deliver donated toys, clothes, food items and other necessities to remote islands across the Pacific Ocean

  • Tyndall host Checkered Flag, Combat Archer

    The skies over Tyndall Air Force Base will soon be filled with a variety of aircraft as they partake in Checkered Flag 17-1 and Combat Archer 17-3, concurrent large-scale total force aerial integration exercises that will run Dec. 5-16.

  • First Japanese F-35A arrives at Luke

    The F-35 program hit another milestone Nov. 28 with the arrival of the first foreign military sales F-35 at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. The arrival marked the next step for the international F-35 training program as Japan took ownership of the first FMS aircraft to arrive at Luke AFB.

  • Whiteman pilot reflects on 6,000 hours in the A-10

    Nearly three decades of flying and 11 combat deployments later, Lt. Col. John Marks, a pilot with the 303rd Fighter Squadron has achieved a milestone that equates to 250 days in the cockpit, which most fighter pilots will never reach and puts him among the highest time fighter pilots in the Air

  • AF partners with OSU for stress evaluation, recovery methods

    The Air Force Research Laboratory, 711th Human Performance Wing, has signed a cooperative research and development agreement with the Ohio State University. Special operations units in the Defense Department are physically and mentally elite due to the training they endure. Since special operations

  • Final phase of C-17 drag reduction testing underway

    When it comes to aviation fuel, the C-17 Globemaster III utilization rate makes it stand out as the largest consumer in the Air Force. This is why a team at the 418th Flight Test Squadron has been working for the past year on the Air Force Research Laboratory’s C-17 Drag Reduction Program.

  • Base level cyber squadron takes flight

    In April, communications squadrons across the Air Force were tasked by their respective major commands to be pathfinder units in what has become known as the “Cyber Squadron Initiative” construct. This is meant to be a transition effort toward a new cyber unit that integrates defensive cyber

  • New program to help ISR aircrews cope with different kind of PTSD

    Finding targets by watching and listening is, by nature, intensely personal and can have a long-lasting effect, to include post-traumatic stress disorder, on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance Airmen involved. The 361st ISR Group is developing a ‘Re-Fit’ program which will assist Airmen

  • F-35 begins integrated training with F-16 at Luke

    In October, pilots of the 56th Fighter Wing began flying integrated direct support practice sorties in the F-35A Lightning II and the F-16 Fighting Falcon for the first time as a regular component of the training curriculum at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.

  • Korean War veteran honored by nephew

    Maj. Gen. Scott Vander Hamm, the Air Force assistant deputy chief of staff of operations, presented retired Chief Master Sgt. Russell Rhodes with the Korean Ambassador for Peace Medal during a ceremony at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Nov. 15. The medal is given as an expression of thanks from the

  • New RQ-4 engine depot opens on Tinker AFB

    The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex recently stood up the overhaul and repair capability for a new workload in the F-137 engine. This new workload is a partnership with Rolls-Royce, and the first venture of this kind with this engine manufacturer.

  • Bully Brothers

    Airman 1st Class Jarret Nave, a 91st Missile Maintenance Squadron electro-mechanical technician, knew where he wished to be stationed when he booked the same job as his older brother. As fate would have it, he ended up with the same job as his brother Senior Airman Todd Nave, a 91st MMXS missile

  • AF supports improved method for transporting TBI patients

    Scientists with the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine are playing an important part in the testing and evaluation of a novel aeromedical evacuation stretcher designed to safely transport traumatic brain and spinal injury patients in air and ground vehicles.

  • Training ISR warriors faster, smarter through mobile apps

    There are roughly 12,000 intelligence professionals assigned to 25th Air Force, 70 percent have less than five years of military service, and most of those Airmen are millennials; multi-taskers who thrive on high-tech, mobile and innovative training methods.

  • Goldfein discusses changing face of war

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein spoke with Defense One’s Marcus Weisgerber in Washington D.C. Nov. 17 and gave the reasoning behind the changes being contemplated for the future of defense. In addition to being responsible for the “man, train and equip” mission for the Air Force, the

  • Moody Airmen host riot training for local state troopers

    Airmen from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, hosted Georgia State Patrol’s Mobile Field Force semiannual riot control training Nov. 16-17. The GSP used Moody’s facilities to ensure their readiness for riots while Airmen supported by participating as rioters. The training consisted of both classroom

  • Airmen provide air base defense in northern Iraq

    Today, defenders assigned to the 821st Contingency Response Group are on the front lines in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, providing air base defense for Qayyarah West Airfield in northern Iraq.

  • 45th SW supports successful Atlas V GOES-R launch

    The 45th Space Wing supported NASA’s successful launch of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, Nov. 19.

  • US commemorates Serbian support during WWII

    The U.S. State Department, U.S. Air Force, Royal Air Force, Serbian Armed Forces and local government officials attended a commemoration event in Pranjani, Serbia, Nov. 18, which honored the villagers who welcomed the downed Airmen with open arms.