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U.S. Air Force News

  • AF Research Lab seeks to turn waste into energy

    It may seem like a scene from “Back to the Future,” but the Air Force Research Laboratory is looking to turn fiction into reality with a nearly $7 million waste-to-energy project.

  • AFSVA gets ready for 2016 youth camps

    Teenagers looking to cure those summertime blues will have various camps to choose from this year, thanks to central funding from the Air Force Services Activity, also known as AFSVA.

  • AF space leader attends AFA breakfast

    The Air Force deputy undersecretary for space spoke on the importance of safeguarding the space enterprise during an Air Force Association breakfast on March 17 at the Sheraton Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

  • US, Turkish KC-135 units fly together for first time

    To better understand how each nation completes the vital air refueling mission, the U.S. Air Force and Turkish air force flew KC-135 Stratotankers together in formation for the first time March 8 over the Nevada Test and Training Range, northeast of Nellis Air Force Base.

  • Andrews Airmen enable Obama’s historic Cuba visit

    President Barack Obama touched down in Cuba on the iconic Air Force One on March 20, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to visit the country in nearly 90 years. While world leaders and citizens tuned into national news broadcasts of the visit, the men and women of the 89th Airlift Wing

  • Cope Tiger 2016 enhances capabilities through teamwork

    Readiness and continued development of multilateral interoperability remains a key priority for Indo-Asia-Pacific partners participating in the 22nd year of exercise Cope Tiger, a joint multilateral field training exercise that began March 7 at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base. During the two-week

  • ACC commander addresses RPA health to Senate Armed Services Committee

    Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the commander of Air Combat Command, addressed plans to improve the health of the Air Force remotely piloted aircraft enterprise March 16 during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the hearing was to

  • Inspired NCO spends career molding Airmen

    After troubles in high school, Joshua Smith found discipline in the Air Force and now teaches others as an Airman leadership school instructor at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.

  • Air Force leaders present FY 2017 budget request

    The military services’ secretaries and chiefs presented their respective branch’s fiscal year 2017 budget plan March 16 on Capitol Hill.Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III testified on the Air Force’s fiscal 2017 national defense authorization

  • Goldfein addresses readiness, budget

    Military vice chiefs testified about the current state of readiness of U.S. forces before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support on Capitol Hill March 15.

  • Sentinel of space found in Alaskan wilderness

    Among the bears, moose, wolves and wolverines of Alaska's interior is a silent sentinel of space -- Clear Air Force Station. Its personnel keep an eye on things above for the sake of tactical warning of ballistic missile attacks against the U.S. and Canada and space situational awareness.

  • AFMC strategic plan to help carry Air Force to third offset

    Agility and innovation are cornerstones of a new Air Force Materiel Command strategic plan that will deliver war-winning capabilities. Those capabilities will propel the Air Force as a key element of the future national defense strategy known as the third offset.

  • Louisiana guardsmen rescue thousands in floods

    Louisiana National Guardsmen have rescued more than 4,000 people in the floods that have inundated the state over the past week, a state Guard spokesman said. About 1,200 Louisiana Army and Air National Guard members have been mobilized and are working with local partners to support the mission

  • Goldfein: Optimistic about future of airpower

    Equals part challenge and opportunity -- that’s how Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein described as the current state of the Air Force March 10 during a Defense Programs Conference in Washington, D.C.

  • Total force team moves the mission in defending South Korea

    In an effort to deter aggression, fighter aircraft routinely fly while troops on the ground mobilize and train to defend South Korea. However, there still lies another piece to the puzzle. That puzzle piece is none other than the 607th Air Mobility Division.

  • TAAC-Air work with Afghan AF to build sustainable force

    A small group of Train Advise Assist Command–Air advisors make up the 441st and 442nd air expeditionary advisory squadrons at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. Both squadrons are focused on working shoulder to shoulder with the Afghan Air Force to develop a professional, capable and sustainable air

  • Lessons learned from Operation Desert Storm

    Twenty five years ago, the world watched a display of military force in the Persian Gulf. America’s adversaries have spent each year since pursuing capabilities both to counter U.S. strengths and to exploit perceived weaknesses. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein participated in a

  • Mildenhall NCO risks everything; recognized with Airman’s Medal

    Staff Sgt. Vicente Gomez, a 100th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, made the usual right turn onto Eriswell Road toward Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England, but came across smoke rising from two vehicles which had just collided moments earlier and a third car that had been run off the road.

  • Airmen to appear on ‘Weather Geeks’

    For some Airmen, being called a weather geek is a term of endearment. Two Airmen from the 557th Weather Wing recently embraced their inner geek and will share their passion and expertise on an upcoming episode of "Weather Geeks" on the Weather Channel.

  • James visits Luke AFB for more insight on F-35 ops

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James met with Airmen to gain a better understanding of Luke Air Force Base’s mission with a focus on F-35 Lightning II operations, and its maintenance and training facilities March 9-10. During her first visit to the base, James held an all call where she took time

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Operation Tomodachi

    Operation Tomodachi was the U.S. and Japanese response to the devastation brought by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake, and tsunami, that struck off the coast of Japan. Airmen from all over the Pacific helped in the recovery efforts.

  • Air Force continues to pursue total force integration

    The Air Force continues to make strides toward total force integration, according to an annual report submitted to Congress March 4. The report is based on recommendations from the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force and focuses on how the force structure should be modified to best

  • Fairchild Airman named Red Cross Hometown Hero

    Master Sgt. Stephanie Horn, the health services manager for the 92nd Medical Group, was recognized as an American Red Cross Hometown Hero Feb. 26 by the American Red Cross Association for her lifesaving actions in January 2015 in Spokane, Washington.

  • Airmen help Soldiers, South Korea military in joint training

    Osan Air Base, South Korea, was tested March 10, when South Korea and U.S. military branches banded together in a multi-service, multi-cultural, chemical detection and decontamination exercise scenario here during Beverly Midnight 16-01.

  • Newest 'Freedom Flyer' takes final flight for his B-52 crew

    The events on Dec. 20, 1972, were clearly on the mind of former Air Force pilot Paul Granger as he exited a T-38C Talon following a special hourlong flight March 3 that began and ended on the east flightline at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.

  • DOD-wide Windows 10 rapid deployment to boost cybersecurity

    The Defense Department will deploy Windows 10 departmentwide by January to strengthen cybersecurity and streamline the information technology operating environment, according to a Feb. 26 memo by Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work.

  • F-35 to touch down at air shows around the world

    Aviation and F-35A Lightning II fanatics have something special to look forward to this 2016 air show season. The Lightning II qualified March 6 at the Heritage Flight Conference at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, to take part in the Air Combat Command Air Force Heritage Flight program.

  • Army Rangers exercise close air support with F-35s

    Although the Air Force separated from the Army in 1947, the two forces have a long history of working together to dominate the sky and ground in combat. This tradition continues today with the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment's recent visit to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, to conduct

  • Combat camera Airmen hone battlefield capabilities through Scorpion Lens

    More than 100 photo and broadcast journalists from the 1st Combat Camera Squadron at Joint Base Charleston and the 3rd Combat Camera Squadron from Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, are participating in Scorpion Lens 2016, an ability to survive and operate exercise at McCrady Training Center on Fort

  • Raven B: Securing the perimeter from above

    Small, hand-held, unmanned, light weight and remotely operated drones describe one of the ways technology is used to ensure the safety of deployed personnel. The 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron secures the base perimeter with help from the Raven B Digital Data Link drone at Al Udeid Air

  • Providing critical support to the AOR

    A team of nearly 40 Airmen at Al Udeid Air Base loads and off-loads thousands of pounds of cargo into aircraft almost daily. The Airmen assigned to the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron’s Ramp Services section are responsible for loading and unloading a wide variety of cargo including

  • Air Force teams win at inaugural D3 summit

    Two Air Force teams won awards at the inaugural Defense, Diplomacy and Development Innovation Summit Pitch Challenge, organized jointly by the Defense Department, State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development March 3 in Washington, D.C. The top six teams out of 500 submissions

  • James, Welsh testify before Congress

    The Air Force’s top two senior leaders testified before the House Appropriations Committee on Defense March 2 and the Senate Armed Services Committee March 3. They attested to the critical need of readiness. With less than half of the Air Force’s combat forces prepared for a high-end fight, the

  • Chièvres AB: Separated, self-sufficient

    Chièvres Air Base is home to the 424th Air Base Squadron, a group of Airmen nestled in the heart of the Belgian countryside to provide airfield operations support for the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), NATO transient aircraft and distinguished

  • Airmen look ahead after historic GPS satellite mission

    Capt. Trung Nguyen was born the year the first of the latest series of GPS satellites was blasted into space. Twenty seven years later, the Airman helped process the final GPS IIF satellite, worth about $131 million, before it was launched on an Atlas V rocket in early February.

  • Proficiency is key when accessing Alaska’s remote locations

    From the northernmost to the southernmost point, Alaska measures 1,420 miles -- the distance from Denver to Mexico City. Alaska has more than 600,000 square miles of land, and some locations are inaccessible, except by air. C-12F Huron pilots assigned to the 517th Airlift Squadron provide air

  • Tuskegee Airman reflects on diversity

    It was 1944 and the U.S. was in the midst of two battles -- a war on two sides of the world and the onslaught of cultural changes on the homefront. Meanwhile, a young African-American Soldier picked up trash on the white sandy beaches at Keesler Field, Mississippi. He had been briefed that although

  • F-15 maintainers keep exercise going in Portugal

    The 493rd Aircraft Maintenance Unit is playing a major role to keep their F-15C and D Eagles flying high during exercise Real Thaw, a Portuguese-led, large joint and combined forces exercise that trains participating forces on a vast range of battlefield mission sets.

  • C-17 Airmen expand global reach

    Forging combat mobility forces is something that the aircrew instructors of the C-17 Globemaster III take extremely serious, but that mission is not just limited to skies over the U.S. A team of Airmen from Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, recently spent two

  • Keeping the C-17 in the fight

    The 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron maintenance team at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, helps keep the base’s C-17 Globemaster III fleet mission ready by performing regular maintenance on each aircraft. The unit provides the only tier two C-17 maintenance capability in the U.S. Central Command

  • High voltage Airmen keep power going at Eielson

    Driving through the mountains in the beautiful, sunshine of summer; braving the harsh, cold winters; and ensuring the light-filled airfield is always lit is something Senior Airman Travis Bothast and Airman 1st Class Anthony Cooper know all too well as electrical systems Airmen.

  • Price of perfection: AF Honor Guard Drill Team

    A standard U.S. Air Force Drill Team performance features a professionally choreographed sequence of show-stopping weapon maneuvers, precise tosses, complex weapon exchanges, and a walk through the gauntlet of spinning weapons. Airman 1st Class Larry Brown has trained for more than a year for the

  • State of AF: Modernizing for next offset strategy

    Budget plans are poised to keep the Air Force atop of its game, with a new bomber and advanced technology to help Airmen execute a future offset strategy, the head of the service announced at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium Feb. 26.

  • Welsh presents AF update at AFA

    Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III outlined Air Force operations from 2015, the service’s plan for 2016, and what is to come in the future at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium Feb. 25.

  • Cody gives enlisted perspective at AFA

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody spoke to a room of Airmen and civilians about today’s generation of Airmen and their families during the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium Feb. 25.

  • Precision strikes keeping enemy on target

    Lessons learned in past conflicts have now made it possible to bomb enemy targets within just a few feet to reduce collateral damage, a top Air Force commander said Feb. 25 at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida.

  • Buddy Wing 16-2 takes flight over Osan skies

    The 51st Fighter Wing hosted Buddy Wing 16-2 at Osan Air Base Feb. 22-25, showcasing Airmen from the 25th Fighter Squadron and Aircraft Maintenance Unit. South Korean air force pilots and maintainers from the 237th FS at Wonju Air Base, traveled to Osan AB in a continued effort to support the

  • Kadena launches Pacific region's first MC-130J five-ship formation flight

    Instead of the usual howl of jet engines, members of Kadena Air Base heard the growl of 120 turboprop blades chopping the air as the 17th Special Operations Squadron’s MC-130J Commando IIs dominated the airfield scene Feb. 17. Within an hour of standing by at stations, the aircraft took to the skies

  • AF rapid response unit enhances their skills during Patriot Sands

    Members from the 315th Airlift Wing’s Airlift Control Flight (ALCF) took part in Patriot Sands, a training exercise that kicked off Feb. 17 at Hunter Army Airfield. The exercise incorporated the resources of several ALCF units, as well as affiliate agencies such as the FBI’s Rapid Response Team and

  • Disbrow confirmed as under secretary of the Air Force

    The U.S. Senate recently confirmed Lisa S. Disbrow as the new under secretary of the Air Force to ensure efficient and effective management of Air Force resources. In this position, Disbrow oversees the Air Force’s annual budget of more than $120 billion and serves as the co-chair of the top Air

  • Pacific partners practice humanitarian assistance during Cope North

    Military members from six nations joined together for a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief deployment throughout the region of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Feb. 14-18. The deployment is part of Cope North 16, a multilateral exercise, including the U.S. Air Force and air

  • Dudette passes 1,000 combat flight hours

    Maj. Jennifer received a hero’s welcome from members of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing as she surpassed the 1,000 combat-hour milestone in the F-15E Strike Eagle at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Feb. 13. Achieving this milestone is a career defining moment for any F-15E aircrew

  • Painting squadron pride

    When it comes to taking care of the F-16 Fighting Falcons at Holloman Air Force Base, aircraft structural maintenance technicians have a major responsibility. As corrosion experts, they strip and re-paint F-16 tails -- replacing Luke AFB's "LF" with Holloman's "HO."

  • Structural maintainers provide backbone of RPAs

    When people have a blemish, they see a dermatologist; when they have a physiological problem, they see an orthopedist. For the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper, aircraft structural maintainers fill both the aesthetic and structural maintenance roles to keep remotely piloted aircraft in check.

  • Minot tests Minuteman III with launch from Vandenberg AFB

    A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, aboard the Airborne Launch Control System, launched an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic

  • Al Udeid shop operates most productive AF wheel, tire repair facility

    The 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron operates the only wheel and tire repair facility in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility and the most productive facility in the Air Force. In the past year, the squadron’s wheel and tire maintenance team produced 3,000 serviceable tires, more

  • Air Force senior leaders share lessons learned from Desert Storm

    During recent visits to Howard University and the University of Maryland, two Air Force senior leaders shared memories and lessons learned from Operation Desert Storm with more than 160 Washington, D.C., area Air Force ROTC cadets as part of the Air Force’s focus on the 25th anniversary of the

  • CSAF celebrates Whiteman total force excellence

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III visited Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, Feb. 16-18 to engage with civic leaders and meet Airmen of the world's only B-2 Spirit stealth bomber base.

  • KC-135 crew saves F-16 pilot from ejecting over enemy lines

    A KC-135 Stratotanker crew from McConnell Air Force Base saved an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot from ejecting over Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant-held territory in 2015, which could have resulted in the Airman's captivity or death.

  • Tuskegee Airmen share life lessons

    Three members of the famed Tuskegee Airmen visited with Airmen at the Pentagon during a meet and greet hosted by Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James Feb. 16. Retired Col. Charles McGee and former Cadets William Fauntroy Jr. and Walter Robinson Sr. shared stories and insights about their lives as

  • New co-chairman joins Air Force’s retiree council

    A new co-chairman will share the head of the table at this year's Air Force Retiree Council meeting in May. Retired Lt. Gen. Stephen Hoog, who left active duty in October, succeeds retired Lt. Gen. Steven Polk as council co-chair with retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney McKinley.

  • It’s a bird, it’s a plane … it’s a drone

    Due to popularity and past holiday sales, the amount of drones has soared. The Federal Aviation Administration estimated more than one million drones were sold during the year-end holiday season. With that many new drones added to existing numbers, federal, state and local officials are concerned

  • F-22 Raptors conduct show of force over South Korea

    Four U.S. F-22 Raptors conducted a combined formation flight alongside South Korean F-15K Slam Eagles and U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons here to demonstrate the capabilities of both nations Feb. 17, in response to recent provocative actions by North Korea.

  • GAO denies protest, Air Force proceeds with LRS-B

    The Government Accountability Office denied The Boeing Company’s protest of the Long Range Strike Bomber contract award following a comprehensive review of the source selection process. The Air Force was confident that the source selection team followed a deliberate, disciplined and impartial

  • Air Force continues to improve care in the air

    The Air Mobility Command Surgeon General’s office and researchers across the Air Force, to include the 711th Human Resource Wing at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, have been working together to improve how the Air Force provides care in the air. The AMC/SG is responsible for clinical

  • 33rd FW hosts first F-35A load competition

    The 33rd Fighter Wing held its first weapons load competition with the F-35A Lightning II at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Feb. 5 to find the best weapons load crew in the 33rd Maintenance Group.

  • Out of the shadows: ACMS Airmen provide missing link

    Preparing to support remotely piloted aircraft operations is no easy task. Still, Airmen assigned to the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing recently spent time showing leadership exactly what it takes to provide RPA intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support at any time.

  • Avionics flight ensures aircraft equipment mission ready

    Avionics specialists with the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, manage an $83 million electronic warfare pod fleet and provide critical support to ensure aircraft stay mission ready.

  • AF rolls out FY 2017 space budget

    Air Force leaders met with the media to discuss specifics of the service’s fiscal year 2017 space budget at the Pentagon Feb. 11.

  • AF remembers pioneer of DOD transportation

    Retired Gen. Duane F. Cassidy, the first "dual-hatted" commander of both U.S. Transportation Command and Military Airlift Command, passed away Feb. 8 at the age of 82.