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  • Consumer tips on avoiding scammers

    Service members and their families can be easy targets for scammers, and financial education is key to prevention, the deputy director of the Pentagon's office of family policy and children and youth.

  • Weapons Airman keeps F-22s in the fight

    Airman 1st Class Kyron Abraham worked the day shift during those winter months. He drove to work through the cold night of day to the 3rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and joined his three-man team in relieving the night shift. Then the order came to load

  • Hill AFB plays key role in delivering F-16s to Indonesia

    The combined efforts of Hill Air Force Base's Ogden Air Logistics Complex, F-16 System Program Office, Defense Logistics Agency and several other Defense Department organizations will culminate in the initial delivery of three of 24 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft to the government of Indonesia July

  • July 7 – Pulse on AF force management

    Featured in this force management update are details regarding civilian force management program expansions and ongoing officer early retirement and enlisted retention boards.

  • 45 units gather to support 30th Golden Coyote at Ellsworth AFB

    Ellsworth Air Force Base continued its history of providing vital assets and support during the South Dakota National Guard's, or SDNG, 30th Golden Coyote training exercise June 7 to 21.Forty-Five Air Force, Army and Navy military units, representing 15 states and personnel from four foreign

  • Airman excels on two wheels, continues to pedal forward

    It was summer 2007 in Wausau, Wisconsin. David Flaten had completed his first mountain bike race through the nine-mile forest course with no prior racing experience and a simple knowledge of cycling. After regaining the feeling in his legs, the now Senior Airman said he had fallen in love.

  • Airmen can change how the Air Force does business

    Creative, motivated Airmen are the key to changing how the Air Force does business, and every Airman has an equal opportunity to make a lasting contribution through the Airmen Powered by Innovation program, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

  • 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

  • Risk management central to Critical Days of Summer

    The 2014 Critical Days of Summer, May 23 - Sept. 2, focuses on risk management for all summer activities -- on and off duty. This year's theme, "Risk: Double checks, not second thoughts," reminds Airmen to be responsible wingmen and to take care of themselves, their families, and their teammates.

  • SecAF, VCSAF outline top priority in memo to Airmen

    In a memo sent to Airmen across the service today, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer challenged Airmen to take responsibility for creating cost saving initiatives within their areas of expertise.

  • A legacy of sacrifice for fallen Airman

    Marine Corps Cpl. Jake Balcom had a unique opportunity to spend time with the 421st Fighter Squadron at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea. The 421st FS was formerly known as the 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron during the war in Vietnam and was the squadron his grandfather, Col. Ralph Balcom, flew in.

  • AF wounded warriors selected for Warrior, Invictus Games

    Air Force Wounded Warrior program officials announced the names of the athletes to represent the Air Force during the 2014 Warrior Games and the Invictus Games at the closing ceremony for the Air Force Trials, in Las Vegas, Nev., April 11.

  • 599 selected for promotion to colonel, lieutenant colonel, major

    The 2013C Colonel Line of the Air Force/Nurse Corps/Chaplain, and the 2013D Nurse Corps/Chaplain Central Selection Boards convened and Air Force announced 390 lieutenant colonels, 78 majors and 131 captains for promotion, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced today.

  • CSAF showcases Air Force, Airmen to Georgia civic leaders

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III spoke to approximately 180 members of Leadership Georgia, a group of influential state citizens and leaders, about the Air Force's contributions to national security and the innovative spirit of its Airmen at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., March 21.

  • AF physician assistant named ‘PA of Year’

    It was her first year working as a physician assistant, and a patient had just left her exam room when she heard a burst of gunshots in the distance. Within seconds, screams filled the hospital as people scrambled for cover. In the midst of the chaos, a piercing silence fell over the clinic and her

  • Department of Energy seeks award nominations

    Each year the U.S. Department of Energy sponsors the Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. These awards honor individuals and organizations making significant contributions to the efficient use of energy and water in the federal government. The Air Force looks to stay on top, having won 21

  • Ramstein AB hosts first sergeant symposium

    More than 120 military members from nine nations took part in the Kaiserslautern Military Community First Sergeant Council's Annual First Sergeant Symposium here Feb. 18 through 21.

  • SecAF outlines top priorities during ‘State of AF’ address

    After her second month in office, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James laid out her top three priorities as part of a “state of the Air Force” address, during the final day of the 30th annual Air Force Association Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition Feb. 21.

  • Shelton announces new space situational awareness satellite program

    The commander of Air Force Space Command announced a new satellite program during a speech about the importance of space and cyberspace at the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium and Technology exposition, Feb. 21, here.General William Shelton told the audience about the new Geosynchronous

  • Ramstein makes history with first sergeant symposium

    More than 120 military members from nine nations took part in the Kaiserslautern Military Community First Sergeant Council's Annual First Sergeant Symposium here Feb. 18 - 21. The symposium featured 10 international attendees for the first time in its history, including representatives from Belgium,

  • Aircrews offered a sigh of relief from altitude chamber training

    Capt. Julianne Gillespie, a 62nd Airlift Wing aerospace and operational physiologist, runs the refresher testing at the McChord Field Medical Clinic. The testing is mandatory for all aircrew members in order to learn their own body's warning signs for hypoxia during flight.

  • 44 selected for test pilot school

    Forty-four Air Force captains and first lieutenants have been selected as primary or alternate test pilot school program attendees, Air Force Personnel Center officials said Jan. 21.

  • AF JAG Corps gains insight at SAPR Summit

    The Air Force Judge Advocate General Corps held its first Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Summit Dec. 17-18 at the Air Force Senior Noncommissioned Officer Academy here.The purpose of the summit was to bring total force legal professionals together to improve the way they handle all aspects

  • Military blood program director urges generosity

    The director of the Armed Services Blood Program wants all service members to be part of a new arms race. Col. Richard H. McBride wants service members to roll up their sleeves and donate blood to help fellow service members and their families.

  • Airlift operations complete in Central African Republic

    A small U.S. Air Force support team and two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft began airlift operations Dec. 12 in response to a French request for airlift support. The Airmen conducted 16 flights from Burundi to the Central African Republic, Warren said, transporting 857 Burundi troops, 73 pallets of

  • Africa Command repositions forces to increase flexibility

    The commander of U.S. Africa Command is repositioning forces in East Africa in an effort to attain maximum flexibility to respond to State Department requests, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters here Dec. 23.

  • Mission complete: Reapers finish base security role in Afghanistan

    After a five-hour vehicle and foot patrol outside of Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, Tech. Sgt. Gary Rand sets his gear down and talks to his fellow Airmen about the mission.The Reapers have just pulled into their compound after the final “outside the wire” mission patrolling an area around the

  • Aero repair keeps ‘birds’ in the air

    With the highest volume of flying missions in the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility, aircraft at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing rely on a team of professional maintainers to keep them in top shape to accomplish the air tasking order.

  • Wounded warriors gain confidence during Pentagon volleyball contest

    Gung-ho spirits were the norm as wounded-warrior athletes from the four services, U.S. Special Operations Command and the Department of Veterans Affairs clashed at the 3rd Annual Joint Services Sitting Volleyball Tournament, in recognition of Warrior Care Month.

  • Senate hearing targets predatory lending practices

    While programs are in place to combat predatory lending practices that target service members and their families, better rules and enforcement are needed, witnesses told a Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Nov. 21.

  • Additional remains of Air Force pilot found

    Additional remains of an Air Force pilot who died in combat in 2006 in Iraq have been found, service officials announced Nov. 19.Maj. Troy Gilbert was killed when his F-16C Fighting Falcon crashed 20 miles northwest of Baghdad, Iraq Nov. 27, 2006, while engaged in support of coalition ground combat

  • Veterans in Blue Volume IV out now

    For decades, Airmen have answered the call to serve and protect the nation’s interests, people and cherished freedoms that underpin it all, risking their lives for others, and thus, becoming heroes in the eyes of those they protected.

  • Same-sex spouses eligible for FMLA benefits

    Federal employees with same-sex spouses are now provided the same Family and Medical Leave Act coverage as those with opposite-sex spouses, according to an Oct. 21 Office of Personnel Management memorandum.

  • Maintenance makes RPA history possible

    During the morning of Oct. 22, the aircraft parking ramps at a deployed location roared to life. Checklists were run, hatches checked, and missions briefed as the crew chiefs, support units and air crew carefully prepared an MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft for flight, just as they would on

  • Fighting Irish take down Falcons, 45-10

    For the first 10 minutes, it seemed like the Falcons had finally found their mojo, against the imposing Fighting Irish of Notre Dame, no less. That feeling quickly subsided when Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees aired the ball out, hitting his receivers for 331 yards and five touchdowns to hand the

  • AF energy leader touts Airmen success stories

    The Air Force’s top energy expert said people are the key to success in driving down energy use, saving money and improving mission performance during the Air Force Association’s monthly breakfast in Arlington, Va., Oct 23.

  • AFI change simplifies fitness appeal process

    Airmen who fail their fitness assessment now may appeal to their wing commanders rather than submit an appeal to the Air Force Board for Corrections of Military Records, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

  • Harvesting the wind at Cape Cod Air Force Station

    It's not just the leaves that are changing at Cape Cod Air Force Station. The Air Force station is also changing the way it gets electricity as two new giant wind turbines are being installed at the 6th Space Warning Squadron.

  • 21 selected for training, recruiting squadron command

    Twenty-one officers from various Air Force career fields have been selected for Air Education and Training Command training and recruiting squadron command opportunities, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

  • Daughter helps Dad wrap up 28-year career

    Approximately 100,000 military service members are currently deployed and fighting the war against terrorism. Most of whom, will not see their families for at least six months. However, there is the rare occasion where family members have the opportunity to serve side by side. Senior Master Sgt.

  • AF implements changes to PT assessment

    The Air Force has released further guidance on the implementation of several changes to the physical assessment test, which will take place Oct. 21.The new guidance includes additions to the body composition component of the fitness assessment, delegation of appeal authority for fitness assessments

  • Voting deadline for Teen Council video contest is Oct. 21

    The final date to vote for the 2013 Air Force Teen Council video contest is Oct. 21.More than 20 videos were submitted for the fifth annual teen video contest and entries have been posted on the Air Force Teen Council Facebook

  • Government Shutdown: Frequently Asked Questions

    Below are frequently asked questions about the current government shutdown (Updated: Oct. 17, 2013). If you don’t find the answer to a question you have about the government shutdown and its impact on the Air Force, post your question as a comment below. We will research and try to find the

  • PACAF Airmen wrap up busy year

    Throughout fiscal 2013, the key aspect of Pacific Air Forces was engagement as more than 45,000 Pacific Air Forces Airmen conducted a broad spectrum of operations, from humanitarian relief to decisive combat employment, in an area covering 13 time zones and 100 million square miles.

  • Unemployment benefits may help some furloughed DOD civilians

    On the 10th day of the partial government shutdown, DOD civilians excluded by law from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's Oct. 7 recall to work of thousands of fellow employees still await an end to the political standoff that sent them home and stopped their paychecks Oct. 1.

  • New AF app helps with workplace problems

    Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, or AFSO21, is the Air Force's eight-step problem solving method and the application puts AFSO21 resources right at their fingertips. The application, available for free download from the two most popular mobile marketplaces, provides a breakdown of

  • 17th Air Force Marathon kicked off at Wright-Patt

    Runners from across the country and around the world competed in the 2013 U.S. Air Force Marathon Sept. 21 here. Lt. Gen. C.D. Moore, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center commander welcomed runners and spectators to the 17th annual event. "This year we have 15,000 participants in various races

  • Broncos run away with 42-20 win over Falcons

    Air Force kept pace with the powerful Boise State Broncos in the first half but ran out of gas in the second, allowing Boise State to stampede to a 42-20 win at Bronco Stadium Sept. 13.

  • Acting SecAF talks future of special ops

    Acting Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning spoke with more than 500 Air Commandos about the future of special operations at an all-call during his two-day visit here, Sept. 9-10.

  • Acting SecAF answers Airmen's concerns

    Acting Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning came here Aug. 22 as part of his recent tour of bases to speak with Airmen about their concerns and to answer questions about the future of the Air Force.

  • AF leaders visit Kadena to thank Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody and their spouses met with Airmen and families here Aug. 21-22.

  • Former astronaut, AF test pilot dies

    C. Gordon Fullerton, who compiled a distinguished career as a NASA astronaut, research pilot and Air Force test pilot spanning almost 50 years, died Aug. 21. He was 76.

  • AF physician honored for ground-breaking treatment

    59th Medical Specialty Squadron Dermatologist Lt. Col. (Dr.) Chad Hivnor was recently selected to receive the Air Force Association's Paul W. Myers Award for his work using lasers to improve skin texture and flexibility for wounded warriors.

  • Military Spouse of the Year, committed to National Guard families

    The schedule of a military spouse is an arduous one. Appointments, dinners, and family time are vital to maintaining normalcy despite the strain of military life.Alicia Hinds Ward, the 2013 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year, is another in the long line of military mothers and

  • Minot Airmen eligible for humanitarian award

    Airmen at Minot Air Force Base, N.D. are eligible to receive recognition for their role in the relief and recovery efforts related to the historic flooding that devastated the area two years ago.On June 3, the Secretary of the Air Force approved the Humanitarian Service Medal for more than 5,600

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Academy coach to return to work after two strokes

    Every day Lt. Col. Dan Oosterhous is reminded to keep fighting when he glances at the bright green wristband on his right arm that reads: "Tough times don't last, tough people do." Oosterhous, the men's tennis coach here and only active-duty head coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy, wears the gift

  • Department of Energy recognizes Air Force energy program

    It's the Oscars of the energy world and the Air Force has stolen the show again.Innovative ideas and procedures for saving facility energy and aviation fuel have earned the Air Force five Federal Energy Management Program awards in 2013, bringing the total to 21 winners in the last four years. A

  • Airmen jump with Bulgarians during two-week flying training

    More than 600 Airmen from the 86th Airlift and 435th Air Ground Operations wings and members of the Bulgarian armed forces participated in a two-week flying training deployment called Thracian Summer, July 7 through 21. Thracian Summer is an opportunity for the militaries of both nations to train

  • Two combat controllers hike with USAF Seven Summits Team

    For some, hiking and climbing for days, and sometimes months, through some of the harshest environments known to man, would seem like an arduous task. Two Airmen from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., experienced just that as they summited Mount Rainier, Wash., July 19 through 22.Staff Sgt. Brian

  • Airmen flip for charity

    What originally began as a dream workout, changed to working out a dream when Airmen from the base here had the idea for the ultimate CrossFit challenge: Flipping an 800-pound tire 11 miles to raise money for wounded veterans. "My goal was to flip the tire downtown," said Staff Sgt. Cody Lytle, who

  • Air Force Cycling Team pedals across Iowa

    Come rain, wind or an average temperature of 90 degrees, 94 Airman began pedaling across Iowa as part of the Registers Annual Bicycle Ride across Iowa, better known as RAGBRAI, July 21.The Air Force Cycling Team, under the leadership of Senior Master Sgt. Larry Gallo, assigned to 433rd Airlift Wing,

  • Two special operations Airmen earn Silver Stars

    Two Air Force Special Operations Command combat controllers stationed in San Antonio were each presented a Silver Star for gallantry in combat during a ceremony here July 22.The two combat controllers, Tech. Sgt. Ismael Villegas and Staff Sgt. Dale Young, were decorated by Lt. Gen. Eric E. Fiel, the

  • CSAF thanks Schriever AFB, addresses importance of every Airman

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III visited Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., July 19 to thank the team as well as provide some insights on current Air Force issues.As part of a two-day visit to Colorado, Welsh and his wife, Betty, met with Schriever AFB Airmen and their families at a key

  • Kandahar remembers fallen heroes with memorial ceremony

    The men and women of the 451st Air Expeditionary Wing came together during a remembrance ceremony here July 13 to honor the Airmen assigned to the wing's area of operations who paid the ultimate sacrifice.While deployed to Kandahar Airfield in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, 13 Airmen lost

  • Air Force Marathon sells out; Race transfer program announced

    The Air Force Marathon has officially sold out all races and organizers have announced details for the transfer program. "The transfer program is the only official way for runners to give their bib to another runner," said  Rob Aguiar, the aace director. "Along with the charity partner slots, it is

  • AF firefighting aircraft repositioned

    The U.S. Forest Service, through the National Interagency Fire Center here, has directed the repositioning of military Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System aircraft from Colorado Springs, Colo., to Mesa, Ariz. "The weather and progress on the ground have helped us in the Four Corners region," said

  • AF leaders stand behind civilians during tough furlough times

    Acting Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III send the following furlough message to the Airmen of the United States Air Force:As you all know, Department of Defense civilian furloughs begin this week. With few exceptions, our civilian Airmen face

  • Pararescueman train with Army, military canines

    Look in the air ... it's a bird ... it's a plane ... Well, not quite: It's a German Shepard in a harness hanging from an HH-60G Pave Hawk.More than 15 U.S. Army tactical explosive detection dog handlers and their canines participated in rescue training scenarios June 21, with pararescuemen assigned

  • Iron Airman challenge promotes fitness resiliency

    All Airmen must maintain fitness standards as a mission readiness requirement. However, fitness can also be used as a great motivator for people to achieve higher levels of resiliency. The Iron Airman Challenge, which consists of timed push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups and a distance run, is a new program

  • Forest Service directs MAFFS to Arizona

    Forest Service, through the National Interagency Fire Center here, has directed the repositioning of military Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System aircraft from Colorado Springs, Colo., to Mesa, Ariz."The weather and progress on the ground have helped us in the Four Corners region." said Col.

  • Airmen participate in 'speed-mentoring' event

    Dozens of Airmen received mentorship, advice and an opportunity to converse with senior NCOs at a speed-mentoring event June 21 at Hurlburt Field, Fla.The event mimicked "speed dating." Attendees rotated from one senior NCO to another with the opportunity to ask various questions -- an attempt to