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  • BMT quarters temporarily housing immigrant minors

    A former BMT facility was turned into a temporary shelter May 18 by the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families. The shelter is for unaccompanied Central American minors who have been caught illegally crossing into the U.S.

  • Westover airlifts 26 tons of aid to Nicaragua

    A training mission doubled as a humanitarian relief effort for Reserve Airmen from the 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts, as 13 Airmen delivered 26 tons of cargo to Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport, Nicaragua, June 10.

  • Enlisted pilots honored during ceremony

    The military's sergeant pilots, enlisted aviators who served from 1912-1957, were honored during a monument unveiling and dedication at Maxwell-Gunter's Enlisted Heritage Hall June 9.Nearly 14 years in the making, the monument depicts Corporal Vernon L. Burge, the Army Signal Corps' first enlisted

  • Old Glory, 'Star Spangled Banner' represent America's strength, perseverance

    Fort Mc Henry, Maryland, likes Flag Day so much, they’re celebrating America’s most recognizable symbol of patriotism twice this year—in June and in September. Annually, June 14th commemorates the day in 1777 when the Continental Congress replaced the symbol of the Grand Union flag with the stars

  • Wounded warrior battles life, career, competition

    He had known about the cancer, but until his trip to the emergency room that day in 2007, he hadn’t been told how far it had spread throughout his body. The doctor then shared with the master sergeant that his chances of survival over the next five years were at 55 percent and if he was willing to

  • Cheating in ALS: Zero tolerance for compromise of core values

    The best way to succeed in Airman Leadership School, and not resort to cheating, is to be open and honest with leadership before enrolling, understand the gravity of the demanding coursework, and be prepared for it, said Senior Master Sgt. Leyla Gillett, Langley Air Force Base ALS commandant.

  • Whiteman B-2s train in UK

    Two B-2 Spirits flew to the U.S. European Command area of operations June 8 to train and integrate with U.S. and allied military forces in the region.

  • Misawa launches first Global Hawk

    The RQ-4 Global Hawk made its first operational flight out of Misawa Air Base on June 6. The flight marked two milestones: the first time an RQ-4 mission has flown out of Japan, and the first operational mission flown out of a jointly-used civilian and military airfield.

  • AF test pilot school applications due in June

    The 2014 U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, or TSP, selection board will convene here Aug. 5-8 to consider candidates for July 2015 and January 2016 classes, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

  • CMSAF Roll Call: Why We Serve?

    The Air Force senior enlisted Airman released the latest installment of Roll Call, encouraging Airmen to think about, “why they serve.”

  • AFCENT rolls out new leave, pass policy

    U.S. Air Forces Central Command officials released the command's revised leave policy June 6, which affects Airmen serving 12-month tours in Southwest Asia.In its recent recertification of the Imminent Danger Pay program, the Department of Defense determined that, effective June 1, personnel serving

  • Friendship knows no borders

    Four-year-old Sarah reached out to grasp her friend Fatou's hand as she has every day since Fatou first arrived at the Maxwell Air Force Base child development center in August 2013. On this day, Sarah led Fatou to the dance floor, placing her in a specific position like a delicate wall fixture.

  • Mountain Home Fire Department receives DOD award

    The Mountain Home Air Force Base Fire Department was recently recognized as the winner of the 2013 Department of Defense Fire and Emergency Services of the Year award in the small fire department category.

  • AF to implement new feedback process July 1

    In a recent message to Airmen, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody announced plans to begin implementing a more comprehensive Air Force evaluation system for officers and enlisted members. The first step in the process will be the July 1

  • Key spouse program key to family readiness

    Air Force spouses are key to maintaining stability on the home front as Airmen maintain focus on the war front, according to the wife of the Air Force’s top officer.

  • Breedlove pays tribute to sacrifices made at D-Day

    The sacrifice made by World War II veterans is reflected in the legacy of freedom they left following their success in the “greatest endeavor ever undertaken in the name of liberty,” NATO’S Supreme Allied Commander Europe said.Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, also commander of U.S. European

  • Airman's grandfather part of post-Normandy air campaign

    D-Day. The mere mention of the epic invasion can evoke a barrage of images in people's minds spanning the spectrum between horror and glory. For Master Sgt. Matthew Carey, 28th Bomb Wing Treaty Compliance Office superintendent, it conjures thoughts of a man he barely knew and whose grandest

  • Space fence contract awarded

    The Air Force awarded a $914,699,474 contract to Lockheed Martin on June 2, 2014 to develop a system that will track objects in Earth's orbit with far greater confidence and fidelity.

  • AF Museum breaks ground on $35.4M expansion

    The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force broke ground today on a new $35.4 million building that will house aircraft from the museum's Presidential, Research and Development (R&D) and Global Reach collection, as well as a new and expanded Space Gallery.

  • 'Final frontier' now complex domain for space safety culture

    Space, long thought to be America’s final frontier, has transformed over the past several decades into a complex domain the Air Force must operate in safely. Recent Hollywood productions depicting dangerous space events - hurtling space debris blowing satellites to bits; disconnected astronauts

  • 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.

  • Pacific Defender builds multi-national security ties

    Andersen Air Force Base hosted a Security Forces Pacific Defender international subject-matter expert exchange, or SMEE, May 19-23, to help build partnerships across the Pacific region and promote interoperability.

  • AF pilot helps in airline emergency

    An in-flight medical emergency caused Capt. Mark Gongol, a B-1B Lancer pilot, to jump into action and help safely land a commercial 737 on Dec. 30, 2013.

  • Allied air forces paved way for D-Day

    The mention of "D-Day" conjures iconic images of men storming a beach riddled with barbed wire, smoke and craters created by German mortar batteries; of men advancing toward machine gun nests and acts of heroism as they made their way inland to secure a foothold in mainland Europe.

  • A beacon in the storm

    Tech. Sgt. David Gray could only watch as she leaned forward and softly kissed him goodbye. There was simply nothing more that could have been done. Feeling helpless, standing bedside with his mother, every imposing inch of his muscular frame had just been rocked. The aftershocks had yet to be felt,

  • Air Force recommends four-star position for Global Strike Command

    Air Force leaders continue to implement improvements to the Air Force’s nuclear mission and increase support to the men and women who operate, maintain and support the nation’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile force. Following visits to the missile bases and visits with the Airmen who perform the

  • Biden to Class of 2014: 'You carry America on your back'

    The Air Force Academy's Class of 2014 will face new missions as the United States draws down in Afghanistan, but the challenges they encounter will be no less formidable and complex, Vice President Joseph R. Biden said during the Academy's commencement May 28.

  • AF honors fallen hero with ship renaming

    The Air Force decided May 23, to honor a fallen hero by naming the service’s newest pre-positioning vessel after Air Force logistician Capt. David I. Lyon.

  • Air Force mental health programs encourage seeking help

    The number of Airmen seeking mental health care has increased over the last five years-- and this is a trend Air Force leaders encourage, according to a lead psychiatrist with the office of the Air Force Surgeon General.

  • Wrenches to wings: munitions maintainer becomes F-15C pilot

    Second Lt. Kyle Wheeler once prepared weapons for the F-15C Eagle as an munitions maintenance operator. After earning his commission, Wheeler is in the initial stages to climb into the cockpit and drop the weapons he once delivered.

  • Hurricane Hunters partner with NOAA to educate public

    The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew to the Tallahassee Regional Airport in Florida, May 22 to team up with the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on the fourth day of a week-long Hurricane Awareness Tour.

  • Force protection, fire department team up for uniform burn

    Staff Sgt. Joshua Hellmich has done more than his fair share of "dumpster diving." It's up to this young NCO, along with members of his team assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's force protection flight, to ensure that no piece of critical information leaves the installation.

  • SecAF honors families of fallen at TAPS seminar

    The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Air Force’s top civilian leader were among the officials May 23, who honored military families impacted by the loss of a loved one at the 20th Annual Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors national seminar and Good Grief Camp for Young Survivors.

  • Air Force leaders issue Memorial Day message

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III send the following Memorial Day message to the Airmen of the U.S. Air Force and their families

  • 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,

  • DOD sends UAV, 80 Airmen to help Nigerian search

    The Defense Department's addition of an unmanned aerial vehicle and 80 Air Force troops to U.S. efforts supporting Nigeria's search for over 200 missing schoolgirls has turned the mission into an air operation. The UAV system and Air Force personnel were deployed not to Nigeria but to neighboring

  • USecAF touts Air Force capabilities at 30th Space Symposium

    At an annual gathering of civil, military and industry professionals from across the globe, Under Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning emphasized Air Force contributions through space and cyberspace. Fanning was the featured keynote speaker during the 30th Space Symposium dinner May 20 in

  • Technology offers more ‘face time’ with commanders

    New advances in digital technology now allow commanders to speak directly to Airmen, despite geographical separation. The Global Content Delivery Service, or GCDS, is a real-time video moderated forum, which enables Airmen to ask questions, receive information and engage in face-to-face

  • Diversity and force management go hand-in-hand

    Force management and diversity were the two main talking points for Lt. Gen. Sam Cox, the deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, during his presentation at the Air Force Association monthly breakfast May 15th.

  • 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

  • Running the globe for Parkinson's

    It is estimated more than 5 million people live with Parkinson's disease worldwide and many do not have access to the medicine that makes the symptoms of the disorder manageable. Col. Marcus Cranston, 99th Medical Group director of medical education endocrinology and preventive medicine was

  • Cancer survivor becomes pilot for a day

    John Austin survived infant leukemia, seven surgeries, chemotherapy, respiratory failure and dozens of blood transfusions. Thanks to the 58th Airlift Squadron, he can now add Air Force pilot to that list.

  • House approves Congressional Gold Medal for Civil Air Patrol

    When the founding members of Civil Air Patrol, the U.S. Air Force auxiliary, risked life and limb to help protect the home front during the early days of World War II, they weren’t looking for recognition. Some seven decades later, though, they’re receiving it, thanks to the U.S. House of

  • Premium DOD exercise hones special operations skills

    More than 1,500 Special Operations Forces from around the services participated in Emerald Warrior, a two-week joint service, inter-agency and partner nation exercise that concluded May 9 at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

  • Israeli, American armed forces prepare for bilateral exercise

    More than 200 service members from both nations’ militaries conducted an opening ceremony May 15 at Hatzor Air Base, Israel, in advance of an exercise aimed at improving the combined defense capabilities and the overall interoperability of U.S. European Command and the Israel Defense Forces.

  • Air Force moves closer to KC-46A beddown

    The Air Force is a step closer to bedding down its anticipated fleet of KC-46A Pegasus aerial tankers. Officials recently announced Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma will serve as the Air Force's KC-46A formal training unit and McConnell AFB, Kansas will be the first active duty-led main operating base

  • DOD shows science, technology success despite hard year for workforce

    Despite a year of workforce furloughs and dwindling budgets, the Defense Department’s science and technology enterprise reports advances ranging from a full hypersonic weapon system and high-energy lasers to light-based brain treatments and new core capabilities in cyber warfare, senior DOD

  • Polish military decorates AF special ops civilian

    The Polish Armed Forces awarded one of its highest military decorations May 6 to an Air Force Special Operations Command civilian. Roy Vaughn, an AFSOC exercise planner, received the Polish Armed Forces Medal during a ceremony in Warsaw, Poland. Vaughn played a major role in training PAF to operate

  • Aviano AB Airmen support Army mission to Poland

    Airmen from Aviano Air Base recently supported a series of troop movements in partnership with U.S. Army Europe's Land Forces Assurance Exercises.Aircraft services technicians assigned to 724th Air Mobility Squadron here, worked around the clock to provide air mobility operations and support to the

  • 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.

  • Hometown friends serve together on deployment

    For Air Force Lt. Col. Elizabeth Clay, Air Force Col. Brad Hoagland made a difference in her life and career more than 28 years ago, when the two were in high school. Today, they find themselves serving together halfway around the world -- he as the vice commander of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing

  • Morale, welfare, recreation customer survey rolls out

    Does your base fitness center need new equipment? Do you want more recreational traveling opportunities? Do you think there aren’t enough recreational opportunities for single service members, or do you think there are too many?

  • Exercise Eager Tiger 2014 off to a roaring start

    Exercise Eager Tiger 2014 officially kicked off May 11 at an air base in northern Jordan, bringing together U.S. and Jordanian military forces and giving them the chance to participate in friendly competitions while expressing their commitment to regional security and stability.

  • PME, families, civilians focus of latest Chiefchat

    FORT MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody answered questions from Airmen, civilians and family members during his fourth worldwide CHIEFchat at the Defense Media Activity here April 29.CHIEFchat gives Airmen around the world the chance to directly ask their questions

  • SecAF honors Airmen with leadership awards

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James presented four Airmen with the 2014 Secretary of the Air Force Leadership Award, May 5, during ceremonies at Air University schools here.

  • '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

  • Mental health: Essential to comprehensive fitness

    As Airmen begin to return from more than a decade of combat in the Middle East, and cope with the perils of war, distinguishing mental health clinics as valuable resources rather than detrimental career-enders is paramount.

  • AF doctor leads medical team in Belize

    Lt. Col. (Dr.) Steven Acevedo found himself tasked as the lead for a team of medical providers during the New Horizons Belize 2014 medical readiness training exercise, in the southern Toledo district in Belize. In Belize, Acevedo and his team of doctors, nurses, technicians and educators from

  • Two AF bases among best commissaries

    During a year where budget cuts, employee furloughs, hiring freezes and customer uncertainty affected commissaries around the world, two Air Force bases stood out among the best, with several more bases either placing or receiving honorable mention during the Defense Commissary Agency’s Best

  • Family, community involvement is key theme during Welsh visit

    Traveling hundreds of miles, Betty Welsh accompanied her husband, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, on his visit to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, May 1-2, and spoke with Airmen and their families on important issues such as the sexual assault prevention and response program,

  • Tacoma Airman killed in Laos 44 years ago finally home

    After having been missing for more than 44 years, the remains of Air Force Capt. Douglas D. Ferguson, who was killed when his F-4D Phantom aircraft was shot down over Laos in 1969, returned home May 1 in Lakewood, Washington.

  • SecAF relates readiness to core values

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James spoke May 5 at Maxwell Air Force Base about her first four months in office, the current environment, expectations and how the Air Force core values relate to her own priorities.