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U.S. Air Force News

  • Generating airpower with hydraulics

    The 35th Maintenance Squadron's hydraulics systems back shop maintains F-16 Fighting Falcon’s hydro systems, including landing gear systems, brakes and flight controls.

  • Missile testing unit validates strategic deterrent

    The 576th Flight Test Squadron, which conducts Minuteman III launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, holds the unique distinction as the sole intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test unit in the Department of Defense.

  • Lab developing biosensing capabilities

    Air Force researchers are discovering just how useful natural materials may be in developing biosensing capabilities for Air Force mission needs.

  • University Relations seeks to bolster AFRL partnerships, recruiting

    Employment recruiting efforts at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) are expanding via its University Relations program. The program is part of a multi-faceted AFRL effort to seek out and attract the best and brightest scientists and engineers (S&Es) and carry out its mission of providing

  • Child’s dream turned pilot’s reality

    Since he was a child, Capt. Kenneth Jubb has chased a dream to one day fly, and now as a pilot he relives his childhood fantasy every time he takes to the air.

  • Parachute riggers: One ripcord at a time

    The Air Force uses more than 20 types of parachutes to conduct personnel recovery, airdrops and asset insertion into combat zones. Knowing what type of parachute is required for each mission and verifying the safety of those parachutes is the job of a parachute rigger.

  • AF Nuclear Weapons Center reorganizes

    The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) reorganized its structure March 30, realigning responsibilities, authorities and accountability to better serve the nuclear enterprise.

  • 1,000th F-35 training sortie flown at Luke AFB

    The 56th Fighter Wing flew its 1,000th F-35A Lightning II training sortie March 31, making it the fastest F-35 wing to reach the 1,000-sortie milestone in the Defense Department.

  • SERE training prepares aircrew for the worst

    Tech. Sgts. Jeffrey Ray and Michael Garcia, both are survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE) specialists with the 15th Operational Support Squadron, ensure all flight crews assigned to the 15th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, are prepared to handle emergency situations by

  • $25,000 up for grabs in Air Force Club Scholarship Program

    The 2015 Air Force Club Scholarship Program is accepting applications through midnight CDT, May 1. Now in its 17th year, the program has provided almost $400,000 in college tuition assistance to more than 400 Air Force Club members and their families. This year, the program will award 40

  • Air Force stands up Task Force Cyber Secure

    Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Mark A. Welsh III signed a memorandum on March 20, establishing Task Force Cyber Secure, to address challenges of the cyberspace domain in synchronization, operations and governance within the Air Force and with those organizations it supports.

  • DARPA uses open systems to boost airpower

    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is unveiling a new program to boost U.S. air superiority by separating payloads such as weapons and sensors from the main air platform, and using open-system architectures to seamlessly integrate plug-and-fly modules into any kind of platform.

  • Reaper maintainers ensure ISR mission accomplishment

    Supporting the largest Reaper unit in the Air Force, Airmen assigned to the 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron work 24 hours a day to ensure the Reaper fleet is fully operational and ready to launch at a moment’s notice.

  • Climate survey is opportunity to share opinions with AF leaders

    The Total Force Climate Survey, available from March 13 to April 27, offers active-duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilian Airmen a chance to express their opinions, perceptions and suggestions to help leaders improve their units.

  • Piecing together the bigger picture

    Airmen with the Expeditionary Air Control Squadron (EACS), also known as “Kingpin,” provide the information needed for completion of the Air Tasking Order, a 24-hour planning document that assigns specific aircraft to specific missions.

  • CSAF thanks RPA Airmen, highlights mission importance

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and his wife, Betty, visited the Airmen of the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing to discuss the importance of the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission during their visit March 24.

  • Keeping our military safe on social media

    Social media. It incorporates several platforms that allow military members to stay in touch with friends and loved ones around the world, however, sometimes what is shared comes with a hefty price tag; loss of operational security.

  • US Airmen teach Romanian airmen airfield management

    Members of the 435th Air Ground Operations Wing air advisor branch provide Romanian airmen at Campia Turzii, Romania, the opportunity to learn about U.S. Air Force airfield management operations March 10 to 27 during Dacian Warhawk, a two-week training mission designed to increase the

  • Air advisors reduce mid-air risks

    Many Afghan helicopter pilots have years of flying experience, so when 19 hazardous traffic reports were recorded in January and February at Jalalabad; Train, Assist, Advise Command (TAAC) air advisors were not only surprised but concerned, and knew the issue had to be addressed immediately.

  • Future of combat aviation requires funding

    Senior leaders from the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps testified on the future programs and platforms of combat aviation forces, and budget needs, in a hearing with the House Armed Services Committee March 27.

  • Civil engineer bowls his way to world championship

    Nick Brett, the water and fuels shop chief for the 423rd Civil Engineer Squadron, earned the title of number one indoor bowler in the world, when he faced off against, and defeated, six-time world champion, Alex Marshall.

  • McConnell community marks B-29 rollout

    One of more than the 1,600 B-29 Superfortresses assembled in Wichita, was delivered to the Army Air Forces on March 23, 1944, and that very same aircraft was "delivered" again on March 23, 2015, in commemoration of its restoration during a ceremony at McConnell Air Force Base.

  • F-35 Lightning II costs drop, report shows

    A recent account of F-35 Lightning II aircraft program costs shows decreases, the Air Force’s F-35 program executive officer told reporters in a media roundtable March 24, 2015.

  • 9th-generation GPS satellite blasts off from 'The Cape'

    The 45th Space Wing supported the successful launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket carrying the Air Force's ninth Block IIF-9 navigation satellite for the GPS March 25, 2015, from Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

  • U.S. air advisors reach milestone with Colombian air force

    Members of the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron (MSAS), from Travis Air Force Base, finalized their training with members of the Colombian air force while observing their performance of an airdrop mission near Bogota, Colombia, March 4, 2015.

  • AF holds Medal of Honor recognition event

    In observance of National Medal of Honor Day, Air Force senior leaders hosted a Q-and-A session with two of the Air Force's living Medal of Honor recipients, retired Col. Joe M. Jackson and retired Col. Leo K. Thorsness at the Pentagon, March 24.

  • CMSAF spends day with Andrews Airmen

    The 17th chief master sergeant of the Air Force met with Airmen March 23, 2015, at Joint Base Andrews to thank them for their contributions to the mission and personally answer questions about Air Force issues.

  • Black Flag first responders train with tunnel vision

    Cold and dimly lit walls surround Airmen dressed in crinkling, sweaty plastic suits to protect against unknown hazards. Firefighters, paramedics, emergency responders, bioenvironmental engineers and police forces share the former highway tunnel year-round for numerous crisis situation exercises.

  • CSAF visits Arizona’s tanker wing, thanks Guard members

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and his wife, Betty, visited the Arizona Air National Guard's 161st Air Refueling Wing here March 22, to discuss the future of the Air Force, meet Airmen and their families, and thank them for their service.

  • Doolittle Tokyo Raiders to receive Congressional Gold Medal

    Seventy-three years ago, 80 men achieved the unimaginable when they took off from an aircraft carrier on a top secret mission to bomb Japan. These men, led by Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, came to be known as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.

  • AF releases results of Space Launch Process review

    The Air Force announced March 23, that the phase one results of the independent review panel tasked by Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James to review the process for certifying SpaceX as an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) provider.

  • Senator receives shadow box in honor of brother

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James presented a shadow box to Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, March 20, in honor of his brother, Cpl. Jesse Hatch, who died Feb. 7, 1945, during World War II.

  • Joint communication training creates realistic scenarios, cost savings

    “Train like we fight” and “Do more with less” are mottos echoing the walls of countless Defense Department and Air Force conference rooms daily; and for good reason. U.S. military missions continue to expand while concurrently trying to balance shrinking budgets and decreasing personnel.

  • Sequestration threatens America’s airpower advantage

    Air Force senior leaders testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Airland March 19, and said with the return of sequestration-level funding, America’s airpower advantage is increasingly at risk.

  • BEAR Base saves money, supports mission

    The Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources (BEAR) Base at Holloman Air Force Base recently saved the Air Force more than $5 million in assets through recovery and refurbishment of deployed electrical distribution equipment.

  • Coming to terms: Airman remains resilient through multiple TBIs

    For the tall, quiet Airman, speaking up about his injuries is difficult. His wounds aren't always visible, but they're very real.After two deployments and six bomb blasts, Tech. Sgt. Gabriel Wasnuk, who is assigned to the 775th Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Flight, is receiving a Purple Heart

  • Air Force COOL program kicks off

    The Community College of the Air Force officially launched the Air Force Credentialing Opportunities On-Line program March 16.

  • First Luke F-35 student takes to the sky

    The 56th Fighter Wing officially began training new F-35 Lightning II pilots when the first student, Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus, the commander of the 56th Fighter Wing, flew the wing's first training sortie March 18.

  • Alaska Air Guard Supports CJTF-HOA Rescue Missions

    The 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron is one of the three Expeditionary Rescue Squadrons assigned to the 449th Air Expeditionary Group in support of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. The squadron is the epitome of the Total Force Integration, providing

  • Planning, execution and management of OCS critical to military operations

    More than $30 billion was lost from contract waste and fraud during military contingencies in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2001 to 2011, according to a congressionally chartered Commission on Wartime Contracting report from 2011.The Commission concluded that the loss could have been avoided through

  • 2015 Warrior Games to be Held at Quantico

    The Defense Department’s Warrior Games 2015 will take place June 19-28 at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, according to a DOD news release issued March 16.The DOD Warrior Games is an annual sporting competition bringing together wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans from across

  • First AF female general paves way for military women

    Jeanne M. Holm was the first woman in the armed forces to be promoted to the rank of major general in 1973, and is credited as single driving force in achieving parity for military women and making them a viable part of the mainstream military.

  • Aero India 15 showcases India, US partnership

    From Feb. 18 through 22, more than 95 U.S. military personnel and Defense Department civilians were among the thousands assembled from around the globe to participate in Aero India 2015, the region's largest tradeshow.

  • Development teams to consider officer command positions

    Development teams from various Air Force specialties will convene between May and August 2015 to consider eligible line and non-line officers for squadron and deputy group commander positions projected for calendar year 2016.

  • CMSAF addresses Offutt’s concerns

    Airmen were not short on questions during Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody’s visit to Offutt Air Force Base March 11-12. It was clear, serving in the Air Force with an ever-changing environment has created challenges, but for its highest ranking enlisted Airman those obstacles are

  • Space planning essential to battle success

    "Space, the final frontier," can mean a lot to people in different careers, but is the vast blackness filled with mesmerizing intergalactic-lights important to today's warfighter?According to Capt. Jamil Brown, the 607th Air Operations Center chief of space plans, space is a newer concept to

  • Lakenheath Airman rescues allies, earns Airman's Medal

    Staff Sgt. Greggory Swarz, a 492nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit electrical environmental systems specialist, was awarded the Airman's Medal for saving the lives of three French airmen after a Hellenic air force F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed into the parking ramp at Los Llanos Air Base, Spain, during

  • Combating common enemies

    Picture yourself as the aircrew of a military aircraft, dealing with an unfortunate situation that forces you to eject behind enemy lines. In order to survive, you must evade the enemy all while communicating with the appropriate personnel to be rescued.To train for this type of situation in a

  • CMSAF explores nuclear mission, encourages Airmen

    In an effort to explore this leg of the nuclear mission more in depth, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody has spent time at each installation within the command; speaking with Airmen and observing them perform their duties firsthand.

  • From refugee camp to the Air Force

    Senior Airman Yia Thao, a 19th Airlift Wing Judge Advocate paralegal, was raised to know that hard work reaps great rewards. The work ethic and dedication that builds a better future runs deep in his family and continues through Thao and his siblings today.

  • AF announces 23 AFSCs on reenlistment bonus list

    Enlisted Airmen in 23 Air Force specialty codes may be eligible to receive a selective reenlistment bonus (SRB) effective March 12, Air Force officials announced March 12.The Air Force is moving forward with a higher end-strength, so AFSCs eligible for the SRB program will increase to address

  • SecAF outlines top priorities in visit to Kirtland

    In a visit to Kirtland Air Force Base March 9-11, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited Airmen, learned more about the installation's missions and shared her top three priorities.

  • Alaska air guardsmen rescue snowmachiner

    Airmen with the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th, 211th and 212th Rescue Squadrons rescued a 65-year-old man who was injured while snowmachining near the Tanana River, approximately 24 miles southwest of Fairbanks, March 8.

  • Eglin transitions to recovery effort

    Eglin Air Force Base search and rescue teams have located the missing Army UH-60 Black Hawk that was involved in an incident near the base March 11.

  • PACE to forge professional Airmen

    Forging professional Airmen was the focus of Gen. Robin Rand, commander of Air Education and Training Command, as he officiated a ceremony March 11, formally recognizing the Profession of Arms Center of Excellence at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.

  • Airman helps strengthen bond between US, China

    An Airman assigned to the 15th Operations Support Squadron here, is tapping into a unique set of skills to support the U.S. Pacific Command's priority of strengthening its foreign partnerships. Capt. Joshua Hu, a 15th OSS executive officer, speaks Mandarin Chinese and has used his ability to

  • US, South Korean air forces sharpen cyberspace defense

    Attacks, counter-attacks, bombs, rescues, evacuations and logistics are all elements of conflict. For the participants of Key Resolve 2015, these actions and other important elements of combat come through a buzzing hard drive rather than from a physical foe.

  • Air Force civilian ensures efficient missile maintenance

    The Leo Marquez Award recognizes Air Force personnel for outstanding performance in areas like financial efficiency and managerial skills. This year, the award went to Robert Mintie, a 91st Maintenance Operations Squadron production controller.

  • Making the cut: Aviano's surgical team

    The 31st Surgical Operations Squadron surgical team offers surgical specialty care in support of the primary care mission to ensure a deployable fighting force.

  • Eglin responds to aircraft recovery

    One UH-60 Black Hawk with four aircrew and seven Marines assigned to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, was involved in an incident near Eglin Air Force Base range site A-17, east of the Navarre Bridge.

  • Blake paved way for thousands of Air Force women

    At the first available opportunity to return to her roots, Staff Sgt. Esther Blake transferred from the Army to the Air Force on July 8, 1948, minutes after the start of the first duty day for the WAF, along with 11 other women at Fort McPherson, near Atlanta. She remained on active duty with the

  • RQ-4B soars past 10,000 flying hours

    An RQ-4B Global Hawk embarked on an Operation Inherent Resolve mission March 7, which sent the aircraft soaring past the 10,000 flying-hour milestone at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.