April 27, 2022 Emerald Warrior 22 prepares air commandos for strategic competition Air Force Special Operations Command is hosting the 15th annual Emerald Warrior exercise at multiple locations across the Southeast U.S.
April 27, 2022 First RED HORSE training squadron up, ready to run This is the Air Force’s first RED HORSE training squadron, their mission is developing and delivering integrated, realistic training and exercises to combat support teams.
April 26, 2022 Air Force identifies Boeing E-7 as solution to replace the E-3 capability Based on market research, the Department of the Air Force has decided to replace a portion of the E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System fleet with the E-7 Wedgetail, which is produced by The Boeing Company.
April 26, 2022 Thunder air show draws large crowds for 75th Air Force celebration This year’s event celebrated the 75th anniversary of the United States Air Force and featured more than 30 airplanes and helicopters.
April 26, 2022 AFRL altitude chambers hit rare 50,000-foot mark for manned research There’s only one place to find them in all the Department of Defense, and that’s at the Air Force Research Laboratory.
April 25, 2022 AF crowns Readiness Challenge VIII winners, plans FOC event in 2023 Following a more than 20-year competition hiatus, the Air Force civil engineer community crowned winners of the Air Force Civil Engineer Readiness Challenge April 22.
April 25, 2022 Fairchild AFB joins growing Food 2.0 dining improvement program The initiative, which includes modernizing dining facilities and new menu options, celebrated its latest grand opening, the Warrior Inn Dining Facility at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington.
April 22, 2022 DoD announces 2022 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards winners Since 1962, installations across the Department of Defense have been recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in innovative and cost-effective environmental management strategies that successfully support mission readiness.
April 19, 2022 AETC enlisted Airmen present former AU president, commander Order of the Sword Gen. Anthony Cotton received the Order of the Sword for his significant contributions to the development of the Air Force enlisted force during an official ceremony at Gunter Annex’s Flag Park April 1, 2022.
April 19, 2022 DAF releases pregnancy, postpartum experience survey The survey was sent to approximately 17,000 members and solicits feedback on topics including prenatal care, delivery, fitness, pregnancy loss, postpartum mental and physical recovery, infertility, and postpartum experiences.
April 19, 2022 Eielson AFB completes F-35A Lightning II fleet Eielson Air Force Base and the 354th Fighter Wing accepted delivery of its final F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft making Alaska the most concentrated state for combat-coded fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
April 18, 2022 Spark Tank idea comes to life through AFRL engineers Two 711th Human Performance Wing teams created a prototype of a more efficient workstation for clinicians to use in austere environments to significantly improve patient care.
April 18, 2022 Robot dog reports for duty The Quadrupedal Unmanned Ground Vehicle is a semi-autonomous robot programmed to minimize human exposure to danger by using its unique capabilities, including its sensor package, to create a notable advantage for base security.
April 16, 2022 Air Force fields new rifle to Airmen The SDMR will replace legacy M24 Sniper Weapon Systems for security forces defenders performing base defense operations in-garrison and in contingency support.
April 15, 2022 ANG specialized team returns to in-person, combined training to support domestic operations An 11-person FRST from the ANG’s 162nd Force Support Squadron traveled to Las Vegas to conduct in-person training with other Air and Army National Guard units.
April 13, 2022 South Texas Reserve units participate in 2022 Flambeau Parade Reserve Airmen with the 433rd Airlift Wing, 960th Cyberspace Wing, 340th Flying Training Group and 23rd Intelligence Squadron participated in San Antonio’s 74th annual Fiesta Flambeau Parade, the largest illuminated night parade in the United States.
April 13, 2022 Exercise Agile Tiger: Integrated deterrence in the heartland of America The exercise enhanced participants’ ability to communicate, collaborate and operate together, ensuring unity of effort across the joint force.
April 11, 2022 Operation Homefront recognizes 2022 Air Force Military Child of the Year At this year’s April 7 gala in Washington, D.C., Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. presented Anna Cummins, 16, with the Air Force Military Child of the Year award. Anna is the daughter of Amy and Lt. Col. Matthew Cummins, 70th Flying Training Squadron flight commander.
April 10, 2022 Airman wins paint scheme fan vote contest for NASCAR team car Brockman, a 96th Maintenance Squadron senior munitions inspector, recently won the Petty Motorsports and Air Force-sponsored Paint Scheme Fan Vote Contest. All submissions came directly from Airmen.
April 8, 2022 Air Force Cryptologic Office establishes new information dominance initiative As one of the new initiatives within the cryptologic component of the 16th Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), CAFEM is steering the enterprise away from the platform-centered intelligence analysis standard to a sensor agnostic and problem-centric architecture.
April 7, 2022 AWACS demonstrates historic firsts, receives, processes in-air EW updates in minutes The E-3G collected EW information using its existing ESM system and transmitted the in-flight recorded data to the 36th Electronic Warfare Squadron at Eglin AFB, Florida, using its satellite communications system.
April 6, 2022 Air Force awards B-21 Raider advance procurement to support acquisition of long lead items for production Advance procurement funds will directly support the acquisition of long lead items necessary to build the first lot of production B-21 aircraft.
April 6, 2022 Air Force delivers E-4B simulator The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Simulator Division delivered the first ever high fidelity, full motion simulator designed to replicate E-4B flying operations and aerial refueling capability April 1.
April 6, 2022 Shaw AFB hosts Air and Space Expo, connects with community The show provided an up close and personal look at the military, from the celebrating significant milestones from the U.S. Air Force’s 75 years of service and Shaw’s 80 years in Sumter.
April 5, 2022 CSAF visits Hurlburt Field The visit to Hurlburt Field and Air Force Special Operations Command familiarized Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., with AFSOC’s Force Generation Model.
April 5, 2022 Total Force C-17 aircrew awarded Distinguished Flying Cross Three Reserve Airmen assigned to the 349th Air Mobility Wing at Travis AFB, and an active-duty Airman assigned to the 3rd Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, were recognized for helping evacuate Americans and allies out of Afghanistan during Operation Allies Refuge in August 2021.
April 3, 2022 Thinking outside the mailbox: Robins AFB first base to get Intelligent Lockers Robins Air Force Base held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its recently installed Intelligent Lockers, giving the Airmen at the dormitories a centralized location to receive their packages after hours.
March 31, 2022 Hill AFB’s 388th OSS exploring agile communications options for F-35A The 388th Fighter Wing’s Operations Support Squadron cyber Airmen are currently exploring high-speed communications options to support F-35A Lightning II Agile Combat Employment.
March 30, 2022 965th AACS brings future to AWACS with DRAGON mod at Red Flag The 965th AACS is one of 14 units from across the coalition core function forces participating in Red Flag-Nellis 22-2. The exercise provides realistic combat training that saves lives while increasing combat effectiveness, by providing aircrews the experience of multiple, intensive air combat
March 28, 2022 Air Force World Class Athlete, shooting programs relocated to Colorado Springs Airman and Guardian Olympians now have a new home, as the Department of the Air Force relocated its World Class Athlete and Air Force Shooting programs to Colorado Springs, Colorado. The move should improve program management and strengthen collaboration between the Air Force and the Olympic and
March 24, 2022 Application window opens for Olympic hopefuls Department of the Air Force and Space Force athletes have 45 days to apply to begin their training with the hopes of competing in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
March 19, 2022 Ideas wanted for 2022 AFIMSC Innovation Rodeo; at least $1M up for grabs The campaign, open through June 6, gives military and civilian members of the Department of the Air Force’s mission and installation support community a chance to win part of $1 million or more in funding and resources to pursue their ideas.
March 18, 2022 Swedish Air Bosses participate in Red Flag-Nellis 22-2, exchange information The Swedish Air Force provided a vital role to the 414th Combat Training Squadron’s Red Flag-Nellis 22-2 with two air bosses. The two worked side-by-side with Airmen to coordinate command and control capabilities to air and ground units during the entirety of the exercise.
March 17, 2022 Empowered Airmen from 109th AW modernize LC-130 for future fight Propulsion specialists with the 109th Airlift Wing assembled the first Air National Guard-built T56 3.5 turbo engine. The modification is part of an Air Force initiative to update C-130 aircraft.
March 15, 2022 AFWERX Agility Prime program, BETA Technologies make history with first Airman flight of electric aircraft This milestone, which took place at BETA’s Plattsburgh, New York, hangar and testing facility – just 35 miles from its South Burlington, Vermont, headquarters – is the culmination of a two-year partnership between BETA and the Agility Prime program.
March 14, 2022 304th Rescue Squadron supports Mount Hood search, rescue A multi-team search-and-rescue mission was conducted in challenging conditions after two climbers fell approximately 200 feet in the Leuthold Couloir area.
March 12, 2022 Two-part DSD spring cycle kicks off March 16 The cycle is the central selection process for U.S. Air Force Academy military trainers and noncommissioned academy Professional Military Education instructors.
March 11, 2022 Renowned test pilot Brig. Gen. Bob Cardenas passes away at 102 Famed test pilot, retired Brig. Gen. Robert “Bob” Cardenas has died in San Diego. He was 102.
March 10, 2022 Cotton talks strategic deterrence at 2022 AFA Warfare Symposium Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, spoke during the 2022 Air Force Association Warfare Symposium, March 3 in Orlando, Florida, highlighting the command’s role in strategic deterrence.
March 9, 2022 Reserve, Guard senior leaders discuss capabilities, challenges at AFA Warfare Symposium Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard senior leaders participated in a roundtable discussion at the Air Force Association's Warfare Symposium.
March 5, 2022 RED HORSE restructures to elevate deployment capabilities RED HORSE stands for Rapid Engineer Deployable, Heavy Operational Repair Squadron, Engineer. They are self-sufficient and mobile squadrons capable of rapid response and independent operations in remote environments worldwide.
March 4, 2022 ‘Project Arcwater’ reigns as 2022 Spark Tank winner “Project Arcwater,” is a simple, green, expedited way to save energy and provide drinking water by using solar fabric and environmental water harvesting in an agile combat employment.
March 2, 2022 Air Force art contest opens for submissions It’s that time of year to show off your creative artistry in the Air Force Art Contest. The submission period will be throughout the month of March.
March 2, 2022 Air Force translators enable water sustainment project for African partner nations Language Enabled Airman Program Scholars aided members from Ramstein Air Base and Nigerien Air Base 201 to share best practices with African nation partners through language support that further enhanced water sustainment in Niger.
Feb. 27, 2022 Air Force medics continue deployments to civilian hospitals and care facilities At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, nearly 1,000 U.S. Air Force active duty, Reserve, and Air National Guard medics are serving in civilian hospitals, care facilities, and other public institutions.
Feb. 26, 2022 Air Force Operational Energy has breakthrough year The year 2021 proved to be a pivotal one for Air Force Operational Energy as programs received unprecedented support – enabling many long-hoped-for initiatives to get the greenlight and progress to the next stage of development.
Feb. 25, 2022 Kessel Run’s C2IMERA used during multinational exercise The Air Force recently used a Kessel Run application during Cope North 22, a multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, large force employment, and aerial combat training exercise Feb. 2-18.
Feb. 23, 2022 Barksdale AFB first to implement upgrade to nuclear enterprise 'in more than 30 years' Air Force Global Strike Command is modernizing older infrastructure by implementing the largest upgrade to its Nuclear Command, Control and Communication systems in more than 30 years.
Feb. 22, 2022 Air Force partners with NYU for mental health technician toolkit Improving access to mental health care continues to be a top priority, and one way the Air Force is doing that is through Integrated Operational Support.
Feb. 20, 2022 AFR capabilities enable immediate ocean rescue The Air Force Reserve Command’s 920th Rescue Wing conducted a multi-person medical airlift in support of a critically-injured person aboard a cruise ship 600 nautical miles off the coast of Florida.
Feb. 17, 2022 Air Force announces officer performance report static closeout dates, beginning October 2022 Transitioning from non-standardized annual and change of reporting official, OPR closeout policies to SCODs increases transparency by ensuring stable, steady, and reliable assessments from senior raters and rating chains.
Feb. 14, 2022 1st Fighter Wing deploys to United Arab Emirates Under the direction of the Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III, the mission will be to assist the UAE, one of the United States’ long-standing strategic partners, amid a series of recent attacks.
Feb. 13, 2022 AFRL holds directed, kinetic energy wargaming experiment The experiment placed pilots, weapon systems officers and air battle managers in a series of virtual vignettes exploring mission sets that relate to the combined use of directed and kinetic energy systems, linking past studies and future concepts.
Feb. 12, 2022 Legion Pod reaches IOC The Legion Pod is a sensor that uses the infrared spectrum to help pilots to track and engage enemy aircraft in environments where traditional radar technology is denied.
Feb. 9, 2022 403rd Wing develops multi-capable Airmen during 'Super UTA' As part of a beta test of a new UTA schedule setup, the 403rd Wing tested a three-day UTA weekend Feb. 4-6, focused on hands-on training with an emphasis on MCAs.
Feb. 9, 2022 CSAF, CMSAF conduct virtual all-call with US Airmen in Japan During the virtual all-call, Brown addressed the evolving security environment in the Indo-Pacific region, and how Air Forces in Japan fit into the global strategy while navigating COVID-19 and still considering the precautions that come with the current times.
Feb. 8, 2022 ACC's Agile Combat Employment just got more AGILE The Agile Battle Lab’s ultimate goal is to reshape the way Airmen think, work and incorporate processes that elevate the capabilities of the Air Force in preparation for the future fight.
Feb. 7, 2022 SECAF, CSAF visit 16th Air Force to discuss gray zone-focused competition Airmen showcased how the NAF converges capabilities, partnerships and authorities from various units and functions in a way that increases the effectiveness of operations and generates outcomes that support information warfare objectives during competition.
Feb. 7, 2022 Air Force top brass hosts virtual all-call Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass hosted a virtual all-call Feb. 4 for members of the Seventh Air Force stationed across South Korea.
Feb. 5, 2022 388th OSS providing combat intelligence for Red Flag’s joint force As part of the 388th Fighter Wing’s ‘lead wing’ role at Red Flag, Airmen from the 388th Operations Support Squadron’s Intelligence Flight are scoping out the Red Air adversary.
Feb. 4, 2022 CMSAF highlights Army-Air Force integration during JBLM visit During her visit, Bass toured several JB Lewis-McChord units and recognized Airmen for excellent performance.
Feb. 3, 2022 BRAVO 0 hackathon proves Air Force can develop weapons capabilities in under one week The Air Force concluded its first department-wide, secret classification innovation hackathon following six days of operations with more than 100 hackers, engineers, scientists and other supporting staff.
Feb. 1, 2022 Department of the Air Force launches pilot program to incentivize optimized flying As part of its effort to streamline operations and increase aircraft range and capability, the Department of the Air Force launched the pilot Mission Execution Excellence Program to incentivize optimized flying on aircraft that consume the most fuel across the enterprise.
Feb. 1, 2022 32 African Air Chiefs, representatives attend 11th African Air Chiefs Symposium During the symposium, key challenges confronting African Air Chiefs were identified, partner networks were strengthened and discussions involving strategic airlift and shared best practices for enhancing partner capability were addressed.
Jan. 31, 2022 Eagle II fires first missile during live-fire event The 40th Flight Test Squadron aircrew and aircraft fired the weapon pursuing a BQM-167 aerial target drone as part of the 53rd Wing’s Combat Archer, an air-to-air weapons system evaluation program.
Jan. 30, 2022 347 RQS tests new vehicle drop for Lead Wing Rescue squadrons team up to airdrop their newest tactical vehicle while honing their Lead-Wing capabilities.
Jan. 28, 2022 Around the Air Force: SECAF’s Operational Imperatives, ACC Names Lead Wings, Tuskegee Airman Passes at 102 This week’s look Around the Air Force highlights Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s Operational Imperatives, Air Combat Command names units for the Lead Wing concept of operations, and Brig. Gen. Charles E. McGee, one of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen, passes away at age 102. (Hosted by Tech.
Jan. 26, 2022 AFGSC applies the Art of the Possible Based on a wealth of knowledge and experience from across the ranks of the Air Force, the Art of the Possible is a concept which standardizes a process, identifies a system’s constraints, and helps users manage their process optimally.
Jan. 26, 2022 Bilateral exercise Southern Beach reinforces USAF, JASDF alliance in the new year Participants conducted exercise Southern Beach planning virtually in order to integrate effectively and safely during the operation.
Jan. 25, 2022 AFICC oversees COVID-19 relief efforts as part of DAF ACT, awards contract for critical test kit materials The Air Force Installation Contracting Center is overseeing the execution of billions of dollars in COVID-19 relief, with a recent contract award providing critical materials used in the production of rapid, point-of-care COVID-19 test kits.
Jan. 24, 2022 Department of the Air Force WAGGI survey release The ‘Where Airmen and Guardians Get Information’ survey provides department leaders and communication professionals with insights on how to provide Airmen and Guardians with relevant information through multiple internal and external sources.
Jan. 20, 2022 Air Combat Command names Lead Wings The commander of Air Combat Command has designated five units as Lead Wings as part of the combat air force’s transition to the service’s new force generation model.
Jan. 20, 2022 Tuskegee Airman, Air Force legend passes away at 102 Brig. Gen. Charles E. McGee, a Tuskegee Airman and Air Force legend, passed away at his residence in Bethesda, Md., Jan. 16, 2022. He was 102 years old.
Jan. 19, 2022 Kendall Outlines ‘Operational Imperatives,’ Choices During Think Tank Appearance Kendall offered the assessment during a 45-minute “virtual fireside chat” sponsored by the Center for a New American Security or CNAS, a Washington-based think tank that is influential on questions of national security and defense policy.
Jan. 19, 2022 Agile Patriot grows AFMC leaders of tomorrow Air Force Materiel Command held its 2021 Agile Patriot professional development conference, Jan. 10-13, providing both mid-tier military and civilian Airmen with the tools and training to be successful leaders in the future. Airmen attended virtually via Microsoft Teams.
Jan. 18, 2022 SECAF surprises 17th Training Wing Airman with SLECP selection Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall surprised a 17th Civil Engineer Squadron Airman with the news he was selected for the Senior Leader Enlisted Commissioning Program.
Jan. 16, 2022 ATAC provides recommendations for NAOC replacement ATAC Team 11, comprised of junior to mid-level civilian and military acquisition employees from across DAF, took up the challenge in August to provide recommendations for implementing digital acquisition methods for the Survivable Airborne Operations Center.
Jan. 15, 2022 Northern Strike 22-1 brings arctic training to Michigan The Northern Strike exercise series, sponsored by the National Guard Bureau, provides a venue for units to maximize training in subarctic conditions.
Jan. 13, 2022 CMSAF visits Arctic Guardians of the 176th Wing Bass visited Total Force Airmen during her trip to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Eielson Air Force Base and Point Barrow, Alaska.
Jan. 13, 2022 Seymour Johnson AFB tests lead wing, ACE during exercise at Kinston Regional Jetport The 4th Fighter Wing is one of four wings from Air Combat Command that is designated as a lead wing, which creates deployed teams composed of several Air Force operational capabilities.
Jan. 11, 2022 AFMC town hall addresses vaccines, telework, enterprise readiness More than 200 questions were fielded during the live Air Force Materiel Command virtual town hall, with a large number focused on the current efforts related to the coronavirus pandemic and vaccinations.
Jan. 11, 2022 AATC participates in multi-service, multi-aircraft exercise Southern Lightning Strike The multi-service exercise tested units’ abilities to deploy with minimal personnel and equipment to austere locations while completing their mission.
Jan. 10, 2022 Idaho ANG A-10, Marine F-35 pilots train together Fourth and fifth-generation aircraft and their pilots from the Idaho Air National Guard and the U.S. Marines, train for combat operations in the joint environment.
Jan. 6, 2022 AFSOC History Office wins 2021 Air Force Excellence in Command History Program Award The award recognizes the best primary or field command history office for outstanding history and heritage programs leadership that provided exemplary historical services to improve organizational effectiveness, esprit de corps, and combat capability.
Jan. 6, 2022 Edison Grants empower researchers in uniform Edison Grants provide Air Force and Space Force uniformed personnel a year of funding for novel research experiments. The Edison Grants answer one of the Air Force and Space Force Science and Technology Strategy’s objectives – to create a pipeline of technically-proficient Airmen – by encouraging
Jan. 5, 2022 Air Force announces IDE in-residence nomination process change Beginning with the 2022 developmental education designation process, the Air Force will transition away from the Definitely Attend (DA) program that began in 2017.
Jan. 4, 2022 Security forces defend Ali Al Salem from drones U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army assets have been bolstering their c-SUAS efforts, which has helped develop seminars to provide leadership with guidance on how the 386th ESFS is countering drone threats.
Dec. 31, 2021 F-15C Eagle Weapons School ends at Nellis AFB The years of tradition came to an end Dec. 8, as the last cadre of students and instructors flew the final defensive counter air vulnerability for Weapons Instructor Course 21-B.
Dec. 28, 2021 Cyber commandos offer unique capability for joint force In today's technology saturated world, the warfighter relies on cyber professionals like those at the 919th Special Operations Communications Squadron to provide seamless communication and agile support in rapidly changing environments.
Dec. 22, 2021 F-15C Eagle Weapons School sunsets at Nellis The single-seat F-15C aircraft entered the U.S. Air Force inventory in 1979, and weapons officers have been trained on the aircraft’s tactics at the Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base since 1978. Those years of tradition came to an end Dec. 8, as the last cadre of students and instructors flew
Dec. 21, 2021 Uniform shortage to affect BMT graduates This proactive measure will allow Airmen and Guardians to have, at minimum, one full set of service dress while Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support works with the manufacturer to restore full production.
Dec. 18, 2021 ACC concludes ACE C3 operations rehearsal The rehearsal focused on C3 operations, deployable technology, practicing ACE tactics, techniques and procedures, finding areas for improvement within the ACE C3 construct, and making necessary corrections.
Dec. 16, 2021 Former Griffiss AFB wins national excellence award for site reuse The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized former Griffiss Air Force Base, New York, Dec. 8, as a 2021 Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse winner.
Dec. 12, 2021 Swap in, swap out: McChord Airmen deploy to Al Udeid Periodically throughout the year, the expeditionary squadron receives a turnover of pilots, loadmasters, flying crew chiefs, security force Ravens, communications and intelligence Airmen.
Dec. 10, 2021 Multi-state ceremony to celebrate first human flight Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will honor the local foundation of innovation and grit its mission is built upon Dec. 17 at 10 a.m., commemorating the Wright brothers’ accomplishments 118 years ago with the annual First Flight ceremony.
Dec. 10, 2021 Around the Air Force: Coalition Virtual Flag, In-flight Comfort, Hurricane Hunter’s Busy Year This week’s look Around the Air Force visits one of the largest exercises in the Department of Defense, Coalition Virtual Flag, an international training effort that’s seeing cyber units in a growing role, a new bladder relief device that works better for male and female aircrew members will be
Dec. 9, 2021 Niger receives second US C-130 to support enduring Sahel operations The delivery marks the enduring commitment of the U.S. Air Force to support continued humanitarian operations and counter violent extremist organizations missions throughout the Sahel alongside Nigerien air force partners.
Dec. 8, 2021 Tuskegee Airman celebrates 102nd birthday at 12th FTW Tuskegee Airman, retired Brig. Gen. Charles E. McGee, and several members of his family, visited JBSA Dec. 6 and were treated to a heritage tour of the 99th Flying Training Squadron, where they also saw a T-1A Jayhawk on the nearby flightline with his name painted on the side.
Dec. 7, 2021 Department of the Air Force announces 2021 Presidential Rank Award recipients Selected by the President of the United States, Presidential Rank Awards are presented to a small cadre of civilian senior executives in recognition for their long-term accomplishments in providing exceptional service to the American people.
Dec. 7, 2021 173rd Fighter Wing structural innovation helps keep aircraft aloft For years, structural maintainers have emerged as artisans of sorts, creating parts by hand, meticulously shaping them from custom wood forms and delicate hand-tool work.