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  • Reservists ready for wildland fire season

    Despite the winter-like weather, Colorado Air Force reservists and their active-duty counterparts were recertified April 19-23 here to respond to wildland fires.The 302nd Airlift Wing, the Air Force Reserve's only organization with the aerial fire fighting mission, held its annual Modular Airborne

  • U.S.-Australia agreement promotes space situational awareness

    A new agreement made between the United States and Australia represents the first in what U.S. Strategic Command's commander hopes will be many that promote transparency in the space domain.Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler signed the agreement on behalf of the United States, short-cutting the process

  • Edwards completes tests to extend KC-135

    Known as "The Mighty War Wagon" of the Air Force, the KC-135 Stratotanker has proven to be the core aerial refueling capability for the Air Force for more than 50 years.With the help of the 418th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards, along with a multitude of testers, the KC-135 Block 45 test team

  • VA launches hotline for health care, women veteran questions

    The Veterans Affairs Department has launched a new hotline -- 1-855-VA-WOMEN -- to receive and respond to questions from veterans, their families and caregivers about the many VA services and resources available to women veterans.The service began accepting calls March 27."Some women veterans may

  • Langley selected for 'better foods, better bodies' pilot

    The "Better Foods, Better Bodies" campaign recently selected Joint Base Langley-Eustis as a pilot base for its promotional initiative. From how Airmen shop at the commissary, to the meals they choose to eat, this movement is designed to help service members and their families make healthier

  • EPA recognizes Air Force renewable energy efforts

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Top 50 list of Green Power Partners released this month ranks the Air Force number one in the Department of Defense and number two in the federal government for its purchase and on-site production of green power. In 2012, the Air Force used 283 million

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Marathon man trains to buckle up

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)The appetizer: four times around a 25-mile track in September, with 10,000 feet of ascent and 10,000 feet of descent. The main course: a 100-mile

  • Air Force, Italian medics simulate joint patient care

    Members of the 31st Medical Group at Aviano Air Base and the local Italian hospital in Pordenone, Italy, came together April 17 to discuss the results of the region's first international patient care simulation.The collaboration, which took place in early March, encompassed all levels of care needed

  • Nobel Laureate gives important decision-making tips

    Defense Department personnel pride themselves on their decision-making ability, but Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman believes there are ways to systematically improve and help remove biases from the process.Kahneman presented his opinions during the "New Ideas @ OSD" seminar in the Pentagon this

  • Sequestration will affect force readiness

    The four branches of the military delivered another warning to Congress April 18 that a prolonged budget sequester will significantly affect military readiness, and could leave the services unable to carry out defense strategy.Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer told lawmakers

  • Sequestration impact on combat aviation: decreased readiness

    The near and long term effects of sequestration and budget cuts for the military's combat aviation assets was the focus of a House Armed Services Committee subcommittee panel on Capitol Hill April 17.Two of the Air Force's top experts on combat aviation acquisition and operations, along with their

  • USAFE commander confirmed for NATO/EUCOM command

    Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove will assume responsibilities as commander of U.S. European Command and as NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe during change-of-command ceremonies slated for mid-May, EUCOM officials reported.The Senate confirmed Breedlove's nomination for the post that Navy

  • Airman's sharp eye saves AF $348K

    As Air Force officials seek to institute a culture change through the "Every Dollar Counts" campaign, one deployed airman's determination helped to save more than a third of a million dollarsMaster Sgt. Ernest Harrison, 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron transportation management

  • VA expedites decisions for long-standing claims

    The Veterans Affairs Department is expediting compensation claims decisions for veterans who have waited one year or longer, VA officials announced today.Effective today, VA claims raters will make provisional decisions on the oldest claims on hand, officials said, which will allow veterans to begin

  • Senate confirms Fanning as next Air Force under secretary

    Eric Fanning will be the next Air Force under secretary, according to a Senate confirmation vote April 18. Fanning provided testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee Feb. 28, before the full Senate voted on his confirmation. Now the president must appoint him before he can assume his new

  • New AF pregnancy website offers state-of-the-art support

    The Air Force Medical Service's Center of Excellence for Medical Multimedia, or CEMM, recently unveiled an educational and state-of-the-art website on pregnancy for Airmen and their families.The Pregnancy A to Z website, www.pregnancyatoz.org, is the CEMM's 12th educational website. The site

  • Air Force Combat Talons fly for last time

    The Air Force's last four MC-130E Combat Talon I's spread their wings for a final mission from their home at Duke Field on April 15.The Talons will be officially retired in a ceremony at Duke Field on April 25 and the aircraft will then be flown to the "boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base,

  • AF leaders highlight space program successes, address FY14 budget

    Space today is in as good a position as it's been in a very long time, said Richard McKinney, the deputy under secretary of the Air Force for space. McKinney, along with Dr. Jamie Morin, the acting under secretary of the Air Force, and Brig. Gen. Robert McMurry, the director of space programs for

  • DOD 'scrubbing money pot' to reduce furloughs, Carter says

    Pentagon leaders from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on down are looking for ways to reduce the pending civilian employee layoffs known as furloughs, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said April 16.Under the department's current plan, more than 700,000 civilian employees will receive furlough

  • Carter: DOD will prevail against uncertainty

    The Defense Department will prevail against both strategic and budgetary uncertainty, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter told members of the military community April 16.Carter spoke to service members and civilian employees during a visit to Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The base is home to U.S.

  • Science, technology remain critical, official says

    Despite fiscal uncertainty, science and technology remain critical elements in mitigating emerging threats against the United States, a Defense Department official told Congress yesterday.Alan Shaffer, the acting assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering, pledged to continue a

  • Program launches to educate communities on family needs

    A new publication series designed to educate civilians on the specialized needs of military and veteran families in their neighborhoods launched here April 15.Charles E. Milam, the acting assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy, spoke at the launch event at the

  • Filmmaker honors deployed women's sacrifices

    "I'm coming home, I'm coming home. Tell the world I'm coming home." As the song fades, along with an image of a uniformed woman hugging her young son, JulieHera DeStefano watched as an audience of Airmen silently wiped away tears and took a collective deep breath in. Aviano Airmen were given the

  • Hagel eliminates Distinguished Warfare Medal

    Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has eliminated the Distinguished Warfare Medal, DOD officials announced today.Instead, the military will recognize service members who directly affect combat operations without being present through distinguishing devices that will be affixed to already existing

  • AF Honor Guard blossoms in joint drill exhibition

    The U.S. Air Force Honor Guard Drill Team members displayed their skill at a Joint Service Drill Team Exhibition on the National Mall during the 101st National Cherry Blossom Festival here April 13.Between the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and its iconic reflecting pool, the 12 Drill Team members

  • Air Superiority: Advantage over enemy skies for 60 years

    A few months after the D-Day invasion in June 1944, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower surveyed the Normandy beaches with his son. "You'd never get away with this if you didn't have air supremacy," then 2nd Lt. John Eisenhower told his father. "Without air supremacy," the elder Eisenhower replied, "I

  • Earth Day: Air Force officials emphasize water conservation

    Every April 22, the Air Force recognizes Earth Day, a time to show support for the environment. This year, the Air Force is focusing on water reduction and reuse. Water projects may not attract many news headlines, but the money and critical resources they save, deserve attention."An emerging part

  • Teamwork, technology allows Kandahar C-130J AE crew to save a life

    On the battlefield of northern Afghanistan in late March, an Air Force combat controller was shot by the enemy through the right thigh, opening up a large wound and fracturing his femur. The Airman was rushed to a hospital at Mazar-e Sharif, where he was operated on in an effort to save his leg and

  • 'Every dollar counts' ushers in new savings culture

    With budgets shrinking, Air Force leaders are calling on Airmen to share their best money-saving ideas through the Every Dollar Counts campaign.In the wake of sequestration, the initiative marks a cultural shift that empowers Airmen to find and recommend areas for savings that may be used to support

  • AF installations chief testifies to Congress on BRAC, MILCON

    In testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction-Veteran Affairs here April 12, a senior Air Force leader announced the fiscal year 2014 budget for the service's installation programs. Kathleen Ferguson, Air Force Installations, Environment and Logistics, outlined

  • SecAF discusses $114.1 billion budget proposal

    The Air Force's top civilian leader today presented his service's fiscal 2014 $114.1 billion baseline budget request to Congress and shared some of the fiscal challenges the Air Force has faced."As with all budgets, our FY (2014) request represents a snapshot in time," Secretary of the Air Force

  • Budget request provides for best Air Force possible, Welsh says

    The Air Force's $114.1 billion fiscal 2014 budget request will provide for the most capable airpower arm possible, the Air Force chief of staff said here today.Testifying with Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley, Gen. Mark A. Welsh III told the House Armed Services Committee his service's

  • Dempsey lauds honorees at Military Child of the Year gala

    Compassion, faith and patriotism earned five youths, each representing a service branch, acclaim from senior leaders during the 5th Annual Military Child of the Year Awards Gala at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Pentagon City here April 12.Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of

  • Army recognizes RED HORSE, PRIME BEEF Airmen

    Eighteen Airmen assigned to the 557th Expeditionary Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operational Repair Squadron and 577th Expeditionary Prime Base Engineer Emergency Forces Squadron were awarded an Army Commendation or Achievement Medal for their support of the 1st Battalion, 43th Air Defense

  • Space Command's ops chief discusses new warfighter role

    The Director of Air, Space and Cyberspace Operations for Air Force Space Command spoke at the Space Warfighters Luncheon April 9 during the 29th National Space Symposium held at the Broadmoor Resort, Colorado Springs, Colo.Maj. Gen. Jack Weinstein addressed a packed room of both military and

  • Airmen learn to make leaner, more efficient Air Force

    Airmen first class to colonels and civilians from more than 10 Air Force specialties discussed ways to improve work center processes and remove waste during the Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century Continuous Process Improvement Course here April 1-4.The four-day class, also referred to

  • EUCOM nominee outlines priorities during confirmation hearing

    The Afghan security transition, the Arab Spring and the U.S.-Russia relationship were among the command priorities discussed this morning during the Senate Armed Services Committee's confirmation hearing for President Barack Obama's choice to be the next commander of U.S. European Command and NATO's

  • AMC commander stresses importance of new tanker

    The commander of the Air Force's Air Mobility Command today stressed the high priority his service places on the KC-46A tanker aircraft program.Air Force Gen. Paul J. Selva discussed progress with the program and stressed its priority in a meeting with Defense Writers Group reporters.Air Force

  • FY 14 budget: Sequester puts key Air Force objectives at risk

    Upon release of the Air Force Fiscal Year 2014 budget here April 10, the services' senior leaders said the shadow of sequestration in 2013 and on-going fiscal uncertainty will affect critical programs and objectives for years to come.While Air Force officials have scrambled to minimize impacts on

  • Deployed Airmen bridge cultures with words

    Airmen and Soldiers give lessons in conversational English to Afghan students at the Korean Vocational Training Center here, as part of the effort to create a better future for coalition partners.Master Sgt. Dean Regazzi, 455th Expeditionary Medical Group first sergeant, coordinated the 51 American

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Crew chief keeps B-2s ready for long journeys

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story)His hands are glazed from spatters of grease and oil. His uniform reeks of hydraulic fluid after working a 12-hour shift maintaining a B-2 Spirit.Airman

  • Cyberspace: Fundamental to joint fight

    Cyber operations are a clear catalyst for change in the art and science of modern warfare, Lt. Gen. John Hyten, the Air Force Space Command vice commander, said during the Space Foundation's Cyber 1.3 luncheon here, April 8. Hyten emphasized the importance of getting back to the basics in cyber, the

  • New resources promote fitness culture

    To help improve Total Force fitness levels, Air Force Personnel Center officials are fielding new fitness resources accessible online, in person or on DVD.These resources, including the Operational Fitness Program, Xtreme Wednesday Workouts, the Air Force Fitness DVDs and the Fitness on Request

  • Nellis AFB pilots fly their first operational F-35 mission

    Two F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron here conducted the aircraft's first operational flights from Nellis AFB. These historic flights came less than a month after the March 19 arrival ceremony for the aircraft, but members of the 57th Maintenance Group's

  • DOD releases FY 14 defense budget proposal

    President Barack Obama today sent to Congress a proposed defense budget of $526.6 billion in discretionary budget authority to fund defense programs in the base budget for fiscal year (FY) 2014. The budget continues the department's commitment to good stewardship of taxpayer dollars by seeking

  • DEERS streamlined for better efficiency

    A modification in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System is expected to streamline personal records for better efficiency, the director of the Defense Manpower Data Center said here yesterday.In an interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel, Mary Dixon said

  • Operation 'Deep Freeze' wraps up for the season

    Following the arrival March 18 of SKIER 75 - the last LC-130 "Skibird" aircraft to depart the Operation Deep Freeze Joint Operating Area, the 2012-2013 ODF season completed another successful, yet challenging campaign.The Skibird's arrival at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam marks 55 years that

  • Air Force graduates first RPA armament course

    Five Airmen from the 363rd Training Squadron graduated from the Air Force's first Remotely-Piloted Aircraft armament apprentice course during a graduation ceremony here April 8.Prior to the RPA armament apprentice course coming on-line, Airmen who were headed to an RPA armament assignment received

  • Air Force Reserve celebrates 65 years of historic service

    President Harry S. Truman signed legislation on April 14, 1948, establishing the modern-day Air Force Reserve. The new organization reaffirmed the "Citizen Airmen" concept that reaches back to the Army Air Service reservists of the First World War. This came seven months after Truman established the

  • KC-46 progress on track

    The top acquisition priority in the Air Force - acquiring a new aerial refueling capability - is proceeding "on track," Maj. Gen. John Thompson, the program executive officer for Tankers, said.Two years and several key milestones after the contract was awarded, a great deal of progress has been

  • Cyber Airman-development strategically critical to the nation

    Cyber Airman development became the focus of discussion at Cyber 1.3 in Colorado Springs April 8, as Chief Master Sgt. Linus Jordan, command chief, Air Force Space Command, addressed space and cyber industry leaders at the conference prior to official opening of the 29th National Space

  • Air Combat Command stands down units due to budget cuts

    Air Force officials will begin to stand down active-duty combat units starting April 9 to ensure the remaining units supporting worldwide operations can maintain sufficient readiness through the remainder of the fiscal year.The stand down is the result of cuts to Air Combat Command's operations and

  • AF officials select new fire chief

    The Air Force has a new top firefighter.Jim Podolske has been named chief of Fire Emergency Services, a division of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Readiness Directorate here. As the Air Force fire chief, Podolske will manage a force of more than 9,200 military and civilian firefighters as

  • Sexual assault awareness 'begins at top'

    To combat and put an end to sexual assault in the military, the Defense Department has designed programs to boost victim medical care, increase assault reporting and hold offenders accountable for their crimes, the director of the Pentagon's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office said here

  • Travel Channel brings 'magic' to Airmen

    Even with all that goes on one at Tyndall one of the last things expected to be seen here is magic tricks.The Travel Channel' s street magician, JB Benn, visited Tyndall on March 29. He and his crew filmed for their TV show "Magic Man," which focuses on Mr. Benn stunning the average by stander on

  • Navy recognizes Andersen firefighters

    Navy Fire and Emergency Services recently named two Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, Airmen Firefighter of the Year and Fire Officer of the Year for 2012.The all-encompassing awards recognized Tech. Sgt. Arnold Castro, 36th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire and Emergency Services Station captain, and

  • Strategic Command plans for unexpected, commander says

    The last thing Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler wants is to be caught by surprise.He is the point man for the U.S. nuclear arsenal as well as space, cyber, ballistic missile and other capabilities. As commander of U.S. Strategic Command, Kehler's job is to ensure U.S. deterrence remains so strong

  • Stressed parents get help with new program

    With April designated as Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Defense Department is highlighting its commitment to preventing child abuse and neglect among military families, especially through the Family Advocacy Program, and providing those who need it with counseling.The FAP focuses on strengthening

  • MilPDS upgrade complete: Review emergency contact information

    If you married, have a new address or experienced significant life changes in March, you should review your emergency contact information to ensure it is accurate, Air Force Personnel Center officials advised.The Military Personnel Data System manages such military personnel and pay information as

  • Revised security question helps sexual assault victims

    Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper today issued new guidance for a question that deals with mental health treatment on the questionnaire that must be completed by those seeking national security positions and security clearances.In a statement issued to announce the change, Clapper

  • Voluntary separation programs continue through August

    Eligible officers and enlisted members have until Aug. 1 to submit their application for separation under the fiscal 2013 voluntary force management programs, Air Force officials reminded Airmen today.Announced in February, FY13 force management programs support the Air Force effort to reduce

  • New Airman magazine features life of military child

    The April issue of Airman magazine is now available to download. In this issue, our cover story, titled "Growing up Military," tells the story of military children living overseas, and provides an inside look at the unique challenges they face. There's also a feature that follows an Airman who is

  • Nuclear deterrence remains key STRATCOM mission, commander says

    Twenty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and with the United States and Russia committed to deep cuts in their already-reduced nuclear arsenals, some might be tempted to think U.S. Strategic Command's most important mission is fading into the history books.Maintaining a credible nuclear

  • Top AF leaders visit Moody AFB Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody visited here April 1 to meet with Airmen and discuss Air Force priorities. Welsh and Cody spent most of the day talking with and getting to know the base's Airmen and their missions.During an Airman's

  • CSAF, CMSAF visit Global Strike Command Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody and their spouses were at Barksdale Air Force Base April 2-3 to visit with Airmen and see the Air Force Global Strike Command mission firsthand.The visit included mission briefings, tours and meetings with

  • Guard rescue center completes 5,000th mission

    Members of the Alaska (11th Air Force) Rescue Coordination Center on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, completed their 5,000th mission (since July 1, 1994) March 27. During the 5,000th mission, the team coordinated the Alaska Air National Guard's successful recovery of a pilot who crashed a

  • Tinker AFB squadron increases production of KC-135 engines

    Over the past four or five years, members of the 546th Propulsion Maintenance Squadron struggled to produce enough war-ready F108 engines to support the KC-135 Stratotanker fleet. The requirement called for 120 available engines, but it was a goal that had never been met -- until now. By changing

  • Andrews communications Airmen have global mission

    He'll be the first to admit that his job is far from easy. Maintaining highly complex, state-of-the-art cyber systems operations equipment is something Senior Airman Joseph Cline finds amazingly difficult, but one that he says has global implications.Cline is a member of the 89th Communications

  • CMSAF visits Aviano AB, tackles tough questions

    During his recent visit of Air Force bases in Europe, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody spent two days talking with Aviano Airmen, March 28 and 29, getting their viewpoints on some of the Air Force's biggest issues. In his second month since stepping into the service's highest

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: An immigrant's climb to the top

    For decades, America has been known around the world as a place of opportunity, a reputation that has drawn people from all corners of the world to inhabit there. It's this reputation that motivated a husband and wife to leave a former communist nation of Yugoslavia with their two boys in tow in

  • AF migrates civilian personnel records to OPM

    The Air Force has migrated Air Force employee electronic official personnel folders to the Office of Personnel Management eOPF version, Air Force Personnel Center officials said today.The eOPF is a secure, digitized version of a hardcopy personnel folder that contains official human resource records

  • Space mission continues despite restructure

    Critical Air Force missions continue from their current locations after today's restructure of Air Force Space Command's Space Innovation and Development Center at Schriever AFB, Colo.The SIDC restructure and realignment of subordinate organizations is part of the Air Force response to meet future

  • Air Force reservists and retirees eligible for TRICARE healthcare programs

    TRICARE has affordable healthcare programs available for all Air Force Reserve retirees - including "gray-area retirees" and actively-participating Air Force reservists, no matter what orders they are on.Reservists who retire before age 60 are eligible for TRICARE Retired Reserve coverage while they

  • AF nurse to serve in White House clinic

    One 81st Medical Group nurse will soon join an elite medical staff when he becomes a member of the White House clinic.Capt. Kyle Perry, a critical care nurse in the 81st Inpatient Operations Squadron intensive care unit, was notified of his selection for the post in February and reports there in

  • AF scientist earns DOD's top civilian award

    Dr. Boris Tomasic from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base was named a recipient of the 57th annual Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award.The highest honor given by the Secretary of Defense to career civilian

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Airman, Vietnam POW looks back

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.) Forty years have passed since the United States ended its involvement in the Vietnam War, and 40 years have passed since many of its sons who engaged in

  • PACAF, Japan Airmen conduct ISR exchange

    Pacific Air Forces' Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Airmen visited their Japanese counterparts at Naha and Kadena Air Base, Japan March 11 to 13 to find new ways to enhance ISR bilateral cooperation between the U.S. Air Force and the Koku-jieitai, or Japan Air Self Defense Force.

  • CENTCOM-area troops get commercial tickets for R&R flights

    Beginning in April, service members and others serving overseas in U.S. Central Command's area of operations will be issued commercial airline tickets to travel to their rest and recuperation leave destination, officials said. Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., CENTCOM's overseas AOR encompasses a region

  • AF system improves homeland air defense

    An Air Force system designed in the wake of Sept. 11 to provide comprehensive air surveillance and defense for North America recently got even better. The Battle Control System-Fixed program reached a major milestone with the full deployment of Increment 3. The BCS-F, produced by

  • Air Force wounded warriors attend adaptive sports camp

    More than 50 wounded, ill or injured Airmen from the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Patient Squadron participated in a two-day adaptive sports camp here March 21-22.The camp was provided by the Air Force Wounded Warrior Adaptive Sports Program, which introduces wounded, injured and ill Airmen to

  • 'Geek Squad' saves AF millions

    As budget cuts affect the quality of life in the Air Force, military personnel are adapting to changes from the government's financial trouble.A group of Airmen from the 20th Maintenance Group Air Force Repair Enhancement Program, or also known as the "base geek squad," are doing their part to bring

  • First woman to lead air campaign

    In early 2011, the world watched in horror as the aging dictator Muammar al-Gaddafi turned his weapons against his own people in what became a bloody civil war in the North African state of Libya. Soon, the Libyan army was bearing down on Benghazi, the second largest city in the country, threatening

  • Medic shows courage after rocket attack

    Three weeks after arriving to her deployed location in Afghanistan, insurgents showered then-Tech. Sgt. Angela Blue's base with 80-millimeter mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and machine gun fire.During the attack, she received a radio request to report to the Afghan National Army side of the

  • SecDef says furlough days reduced for civilians

    The Defense Department has revised from 22 to 14 the number of days hundreds of thousands of civilian employees could be furloughed this year because of the budget sequester, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced today.In addition, a senior Defense Department official speaking on background told

  • Obama to nominate Air Force general for NATO post

    The Air Force's top commander in Europe is President Barack Obama's choice to be NATO's next supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of U.S. European Command.During a news conference today with Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel

  • Airman helps others any place, anytime

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.) Senior Master Sgt. Marvin D. Compton is no stranger to life-saving events. For the second time in seven years, Compton was at the right place at the

  • Joint Task Force builds skills, ties with RAF at unique exercise

    Units deploying to U.S. Transportation Command's Eagle Flag exercise here can expect to encounter austere field conditions, heated interaction with role players acting as difficult locals, and lots and lots of cargo. But when air mobility specialists from the British Royal air force arrived to

  • AF to implement force structure changes

    The Air Force released its plan Mar. 28 to implement force structure changes mandated by the Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. The bill authorized the service to complete actions approved in previous years, such as aircraft retirements, and directed execution of

  • Transit Center introduces Kyrgyz military to aeromedical evacuations

    Transit Center at Manas medical professionals meet weekly with their counterparts in the Kyrgyz military for the purpose of exchanging information on processes and sharing common terminology. At the request of the Kyrgyz Republic, the most recent military exchange introduced several Kyrgyz military

  • DOD looks at funding's effect on personnel, programs

    Defense Department officials are looking at the recently signed continuing resolution that funds the government for the rest of the fiscal year to discern how the legislation affects personnel and programs, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said March 27.The legislation may mean fewer furlough

  • Blue Horizons: War College students look at 2035

    Each spring, a select group of Air War College students meet for BOGSAT sessions and collaborate in "murder boards" to help Air Force leaders make decisions on how the service will adapt to technological changes in the next quarter of a century. For the past five years, Blue Horizons has

  • Improvements extend C-5 life

    Using Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, Airmen here improved the reliability and life expectancy of the C-5M Super Galaxy.AFSO21 is the Air Force's dedicated effort to maximize value and minimize waste in all of our processes. "We identified the whole process with our Dewars

  • Airmen shoulder the load in remembrance of fallen comrade

    Special tactics operators from across Pope Field, N.C., took part in a six-mile walk around the flightline carrying a log dedicated to a fallen comrade March 15. The log, carved in honor of Staff Sgt. Andrew Harvell, has an estimated weight of 1,250 pounds. Harvell's nickname "Big Andy" is carved on

  • Moon landing jump starts general's own space legacy

    When Neil Armstrong made history with man's first footsteps on the moon, Susan Helms needed a little nudging from her mom to get excited. And get excited she did. She realized that there would never be another first step on the moon, and even as a young 11-year-old, knew the feat was something

  • Congress reviews reserve forces equipment needs

    Senior Army and Air Force leaders for the Reserve and National Guard were on Capitol Hill to testify March 19 and answer questions about updating and replacing their combat-worn equipment.Chairman Michael Turner, R-Ohio, and Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., led the hearing at the House Armed Services

  • Not too soon for spouse's job hunt before moving

    As service members start to receive their orders for summer moves, it's time for working spouses to update resumes, start networking for job opportunities and contact career counselors at their new locations, a Pentagon official recommends.In an interview with American Forces Press Service and the

  • Deployed weather Airmen keep birds out of stormy conditions

    Many may not think much of rain, fog or mostly sunny days here, but to a base that conducts 30 percent of U.S. Air Forces Central Command's air tasking order sorties, weather monitoring is no simple matter. The 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Weather Flight conducts around-the-clock

  • DOD requires more base closings, official says

    The Defense Department possesses more real estate than it needs and is looking to close additional bases and installations in the United States and abroad, a senior DOD official told a House panel March 14.Air Force leaders agree, according to Kathleen I. Ferguson, acting assistant secretary of the

  • Air Force rabbi 'one of her kind'

    Minutes before sunset on Friday, she lowers her head and covers her face in prayer. Her hands are illuminated by the faint glow of the Shabbat candles, each flame representing and honoring a family member.As the week comes to a close, Capt. Sarah Schechter, the Jewish chaplain of the 11th Wing at

  • 16 specialties work together, build one clear picture

    Controlling 250,000 square miles of air space over Afghanistan is no easy task, but it's just another day for the Airmen of the 73rd Expeditionary Air Control Squadron.The 73rd EACS supports the enduring airpower mission through air control and data support by making sure constant radar feeds, radio