NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Air National Guard medical team sets bar during disaster response test

    It took only 36 minutes for the 139th Airlift Wing's medics here to make their presence known as medical performers during a recent homeland response evaluation. Fifty Air Force doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians and support staff began their test in haste, pulling equipment from their

  • Air National Guard members save lives by land, sea

    Air National Guardsmen from the 129th Rescue Wing launched a search and rescue mission from here July 16 to save a fisherman experiencing a medical emergency aboard a Canadian fishing boat off the coast of California. Responding to a pararescuemen headed to the 85-foot Ocean Marauder fishing boat

  • Air National Guard members visit Polish air base

    Members of the 182nd Airlift Wing arrived at the 33rd Air Base here as part of the Illinois Air National Guard's role in the State Partnership Program. The visit is part of a continual endeavor by National Guard Units and European military forces to facilitate information exchange and

  • Air National Guard program cuts red tape for quick solutions

    An Air National Guard program designed to cut through bureaucracy has led to safety solutions for problems as vast and varied as avian flu, pilot fatigue and reducing the carbon footprint. Five years ago, some Guard members deployed to Iraq brainstormed to share tactical data in a new way using

  • Air National Guard recognizes top Airmen

    The Air National Guard's top six enlisted Airmen of the year were recognized for their achievements when the Air Guard's command chief master sergeant hosted Airmen of the Year Week here Aug. 4 to 11. The Airmen are: -- Airman of the Year: Staff Sgt. Jesse Permenter, 116th Air Support Operations

  • Air National Guard restores FAA capabilities for Puerto Rico

    A week and a half post Hurricane Maria, it is hard to tell the Federal Aviation Administration was at “ground zero” and in the dark with no power or communication capabilities. Now, the air traffic flow at San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport is back to normal thanks to the Air National

  • Air National Guard senior NCO breaks barriers

    (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.)With multiple deployments and unique assignments during her 29 plus years of military experience as a munitions system specialist, Chief Master Sgt.

  • Air National Guard shores up as flood recedes

    One hundred-fifty Air National Guardsmen from the 185th Air Refueling Wing in Sioux City, Iowa, landed at The Eastern Iowa Airport June 15 to augment the 295 already working with Army National Guard and state agencies in Cedar Rapids as flood waters recede from what is being called the 500-year

  • Air National Guard supports coalition operations over Libya

    The Air National Guard is contributing to Operation Odyssey Dawn with Airmen from 11 air refueling wings supporting the international coalition enforcement of a United Nations authorized no-fly zone, National Guard officials said March 22 here.Aircraft and crews from Alaska, Arizona, Illinois, Iowa,

  • Air National Guard supports shuttle efforts

    Air National Guard airmen joined the grim and painstaking search for debris from Space Shuttle Columbia soon after it disintegrated over Texas.Two F-15 Eagles from the Louisiana Air Guard's 159th Fighter Wing began an aerial search for wreckage over the vast region of eastern Texas and southwestern

  • Air National Guard unit earns 'Star' rating

    Occupational Health and Safety Administration officials announced April 30 the Air National Guard's 148th Fighter Wing earned the prestigious Voluntary Protection Program Star status. The 148th FW from Duluth is the first unit in the Air Force to earn the VPP Star rating, which demonstrates a

  • Air National Guard unit ensures safe flying

    Communication is vital. It is the key to the success of any operation. Without it, assumption and perception take over, causing malfunctions and putting lives at stake.This is something the air traffic control and radar approach control airmen at Bagram, Afghanistan know well.Listening for

  • Air National Guard unit fights wildfires

    California Air National Guardsmen from the 146th Airlift Wing launched aircraft outfitted for aerial firefighting May 5 to aid in the fight against Southern California wildfires.The wing's first missions of the day were flown against Santa Barbara County's Cachuma fire.The Ventura County-based

  • Air National Guard units respond to Texas wildfires

    Air National Guard officials in three states sent four specially equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft to Texas on April 18 to support civil authorities battling 32 wildfires.The C-130s, equipped with the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, were sent under the direction of the Joint Forces

  • Air National Guard wing reaches milestone of 600 lives saved

    Air National Guardsmen from the 129th Rescue Wing based here rescued two Afghan National Army soldiers in the Oruzgan Province of Afghanistan May 15, raising the number of lives saved by the unit from 599 to 601. Two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters were scrambled to recover the Afghan soldiers who were

  • Air National Guard works to corral Mississippi

    The men and women of the 185th Air Refueling Squadron from Sioux City, Iowa, are teaming with local farmers to maintain the 20 miles of levees, keeping the flooded Mississippi from inundating the 14 thousand acres of homes and farmland here. The river is flowing 23 feet over flood levels and 20 feet

  • Air National Guard's Airmen of the Year announced

    Air National Guard officials identified six Airmen as their Airmen of the Year for 2008 following their arrival here June 15 for a week-long celebration and tribute to their achievements. This year's Airmen of the Year were chosen through a process of unit, state and national selection panels and

  • Air National Guardsmen called to assist ground firefighting

    The 129th Rescue Wing is mobilizing approximately 30 Airmen to provide direct ground support to help the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection with the current wildfire threat in northern California. The department will train the Airmen on firefighting techniques beginning later next

  • Air operations center opens at Tyndall

    First Air Force celebrated the opening of the 601st Air and Space Operations Center here June 1 with a ceremony and tour of the 37,000-square-foot, $30 million combat center. First Air Force, which also serves under the North American Aerospace Defense Command as the continental U.S. NORAD Region,

  • Air operations vital to CJTF-HOA mission

    In the United States, airlines coordinate flights with the Federal Aviation Administration. In the Horn of Africa it's a little more complicated as flights cross several nations, all with different aviation rules. What does it take to get flights from point A to point B within the Combined Joint

  • Air Ops Center wraps up Valiant Shield

    After nearly 2,000 sorties, the Kenney Headquarters' Pacific Air Operations Center team, assembled to orchestrate air operations for Valiant Shield, concluded the exercise. "We had a very successful exercise," said Maj. Paul Hahn of the headquarter's Combat Operations Division. "This was a great

  • Air power key to many 2005 successes

    More than 75,000 Airmen rotated in and out of the theater to 12 locations during 2005 and helped coalition forces take part in historic events and record-breaking accomplishments. From ensuring millions of people in Iraq and Afghanistan had the opportunity to vote, to providing humanitarian aid

  • Air power purchasing process continues to improve

    Air Combat Command's award-winning acceptance team in Marietta, Ga., is setting the precedent on how the Air Force accepts airplanes. Working alongside the manufacturer, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, during production of the F-22A Raptor, ACC's Raptor Acceptance Team is a geographically

  • Air refueling pioneers honored in ceremony at Scott

    The air refueling pioneers responsible for the United States' first air-refueling flights in 1923 and 1929 were honored in a ceremony Sept. 23 at Scott AFB's "Walk of Fame" as part of a presentation by the Airlift-Tanker Association Hall of Fame officials.Gen. Raymond E. Johns Jr., commander of Air

  • Air refueling publication provides NATO nations better combat effectiveness

    A significant milestone in coalition and international military interoperability occured when the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy adopted a single manual for fixed-wing air-to-air refueling, or AAR, procedures April 1, replacing more than 17 separate weapon system-specific AAR manuals.More

  • Air refueling squadron takes flight to fuel the fight

    Fighters are in the air 24 hours a day, providing constant support to ground forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Without midair refueling, that coverage would be lost. The 340th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron provides fuel to those thirsty fighters as they keep troops on the ground safe, said Lt.

  • Air Reserve Forces Policy Committee brings strategic issues to SecAF

    Sexual Assault Prevention and Response programs, permanent-change-of-station lodging inconsistencies and TRICARE inequities within the Reserve Component were some of the issues addressed by the Air Reserve Forces Policy Committee during their meeting in the National Capital Region Nov. 5-7.Current

  • Air Reserve Personnel Center officials host interservice Reserve conference

    Nearly 100 officials from the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard gathered in Denver for the Individual Ready Reserve Interservice Conference June 22 and 23.Air Reserve Personnel Center officials hosted the annual event which allows representatives from all the services to discuss

  • Air Reserve TFSC call center agents take on 24-hour operations

    Effective Aug. 1, the Air Reserve Personnel Center’s call center will centralize at the Air Force's Personnel Center call center at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. With this centralization, ARPC’s more than 1.3 million customers will now have access to Total Force Service Center call agents

  • Air sampling study benefits Airmen's health

    The average human takes about 12 to 20 breaths each minute. Exactly what those breaths contain is now being monitored in a study. Airmen are participating in the U.S. Central Command Enhanced Particulate Matter Surveillance Initiative to determine the levels of total solid particulates in the

  • Air show to showcase C-17's capabilities

    C-17 Globemaster III crews from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, will showcase their aircrafts' unique capabilities in an air show in Australia this month. In preparation for the air show, a crew flew their C-17 to Kona International Airport, putting the jet through the performance maneuvers that best

  • Air Staff Agency uses 'New Media' to talk

    Since the beginning of warfare, the toughest battles for commanders have always been communicating with their own troops, ensuring everyone is hearing the same message. Lt. Gen. Michael W. Peterson, the Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Office director, took a different approach when he

  • Air Staff move recognizes CAP security role

    One of the newest names in homeland defense is actually more than 60 years old.The Air Force Auxiliary, also known as the Civil Air Patrol, has been in the defense business since Dec. 1, 1941, when it was chartered to support national defense by providing submarine reconnaissance.In recognition of

  • Air Staff officials expand warrior image

    “We are a nation at war,” Gen. T. Michael Moseley wrote in a letter to all Airmen on Sept. 2, the day he was sworn in as Air Force chief of staff.As many Airmen are deployed on combat missions in places including Iraq and Afghanistan as well as humanitarian relief efforts in the Gulf Coast region,

  • Air strike destroys safe house, reveals large cache

    Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots dropped two 500-pound bombs Jan. 6, destroying an al-Qaida safe house near Busayefi, Iraq, where improvised explosive devices were made and stored. After the structure was destroyed, a site survey was conducted by Multinational Division Center Soldiers. The

  • Air strikes hammer remote terrorist camp

    Coalition air strikes during Operation Iraqi Freedom are not only yielding the systematic demolition of the Saddam Hussein regime, but are hammering international terrorist organizations as well.Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. Myers, in an April 1 Pentagon press briefing,

  • Air strikes hit more than 40 targets in Iraq

    More than 40 targets were hit after precision air strikes destroyed reported al-Qaida safe havens Jan. 10 in Arab Jabour, Iraq. The precision air strikes supported Operation Phantom Phoenix, the overarching operation that includes Operation Marne Thunderbolt. Thirty-eight bombs were dropped within

  • Air strikes target, kill al-Qaeda terrorists near Taji, Iraq

    Coalition forces targeted members of an al-Qaeda network March 2 during an air strike operation west of Taji, Iraq. Intelligence reports indicated that the network is responsible for threats to coalition aircraft. Coalition forces believe key terrorists were killed during the air strike. Several

  • Air superiority: 48 years of Falcon football

    Jim Bowman and Falcon football have been attached at the hip pad for 48 of the program’s 50 years. When Air Force kicks off Sept. 3 against the Washington Huskies, it will be the 534th Falcon game played during Mr. Bowman’s tenure.The former freshman and junior varsity coach turned associate

  • 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

  • Air support is crucial vein in ground force's lifeline

    Joint terminal attack controllers direct the action of combat aircraft to provide close-air support missions for U.S. ground forces in Iraq. Close-air support missions require highly-detailed communication channels and a well-coordinated process. Those communication channels and coordination

  • Air Support Ops keep control at Atlantic Strike V

    The 682nd Air Support Operations Squadron Airmen from Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., provided tactical command and control as the Air Support Operations Center during Atlantic Strike V April 14-20 at the Avon Park Air Ground Complex at Avon Park, Fla. The ASOC is the forward extension of the air

  • Air tactics evolve to achieve effects for war on terrorism

    Achieving airpower objectives more effectively is what more than 200 of the most proficient expeditionary Airmen gathered recently to discuss at the quarterly Weapons and Tactics Conference in Bahrain in July. The Weapons and Tactics Conference is a venue for Air Force weapons officers along with

  • Air terminal operations center keeps wing rotating

    Transportation for people and cargo in and out of theater is made possible by a team of transportation specialists at a forward-deployed location here. This is especially apparent during the changeover from one rotation of Airmen to another.The air terminal operations center comprises several

  • Air terminal operators keep OEF freight, passengers moving

    It could be a C-130 Hercules loaded with Airmen and Soldiers heading down range, a civilian cargo plane loaded to the hilt with mail for deployed troops or a C-17 Globemaster III carrying humanitarian supplies for some remote village in Afghanistan.Any time an aircraft lands with material for

  • Air traffic advisers aim high for Iraq's future

    As U.S. forces continue to draw down to meet the Dec. 31 deadline, Air Force air traffic control advisers have their eyes fixed on the sky above Iraq.Maj. Rudolf Kuehne and Capt. Maureen Trujillo, senior ATC advisers for Iraq Training and Advisory Mission-Air, are tasked with ensuring their Iraqi

  • Air traffic control: Keeping the skies safe

    Similar to other careers, on-the-job training for air traffic controllers is a must in order to ensure agile combat airlift is delivered anywhere and anytime. Airmen assigned to this unit learn alongside a fully qualified and experienced trainer, so there is no room for error when it comes to

  • Air traffic controller began life as Italian Air Force pilot's daughter

    Airman 1st Class Giorgia Repici grew up hearing her father tell stories about his adventures as a C-130J pilot in the Italian Air Force. She dreamed of becoming a pilot until she was told she was one centimeter too short. So she became an air traffic controller in the U.S. Air Force instead.

  • Air traffic controller considers Air Force her second family

    With nearly 300 flights coming in and out of Laughlin AFB every day, new and seasoned pilots depend upon the support from air traffic controllers to send them out and bring them back home safely to their base and families.One air traffic controller on the ground guiding pilots over Del Rio,

  • Air traffic controller honored by FAA

    Capt. Todd Lobato, chief air traffic control trainer for the Utah Air National Guard's 299th Range Control Squadron, was honored recently by the Federal Aviation Administration as the FAA Safety Team Representative of the Year. Captain Lobato received this award for his role as the aviation safety

  • Air traffic controller supports California wildfire effort

    As a C-130 Hercules from the 302nd Air Expeditionary Group rolls down the ramp here ready to take off to fight California's wildfires, an air traffic controller in the tower at McClellan Airfield ensures each flight takes off and lands safely. William Grava looks over the airfield and scans the

  • Air traffic controllers bring order to England skies

    Air traffic controllers with the 100th Operations Support Squadron sit high above the flightline at all times, acting as the eyes and ears on the ground for those in the skies above. Those on the night shift don't have the advantage of daylight that others working the day shift may take for granted.

  • Air traffic controllers discuss road ahead in Iraq

    Ten Air Force and Army air traffic controllers advising their Iraqi counterparts at major installations around Iraq convened here April 28 to discuss airfield plans for the final months before U.S. troops leave Iraq under a Dec. 31, 2011, mandate. "(The meeting) was an excellent opportunity to see

  • Air traffic controllers keep aircraft soaring

    Air traffic controllers of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here were responsible for more than 1,250 operations on their airfield and in their airspace in just one week in April. With dozens of combat and combat support sorties originating here every day, it's not hard to realize air traffic

  • Air traffic controllers manage safe, efficient operation

    A team of Airmen observe the diversity of air power used in the war on terrorism from the highest vantage point on base: the air traffic control tower. Forward-deployed U.S. armed forces and coalition partners depend on every flight that takes off from and lands at the air base run by the Airmen of

  • Air traffic controllers own Iraqi sky

    From American and coalition aircraft to civilian airliners now traveling through the Iraqi airspace, the number of aircraft coming and going over Iraq has increased exponentially in the last year. In southern Iraq, 19 Air Force air traffic controllers here are ensuring the safety of the aircraft

  • Air traffic controllers prepare to pass torch to Iraqis

    As Operation New Dawn continues to progress, air traffic controllers here are working side-by-side with civilian controllers and Iraqi airmen to transition the airspace back to Iraqi officials.Senior Airman Matt Morrow, a 407th Air Expeditionary Group air traffic controller, helps with the

  • Air traffic controllers take on new roles

    Air traffic controllers deployed to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa must sometimes take on new roles in accomplishing the daily mission.During the current deployment, the controllers aren't actually controlling the skies above Camp Lemonier. "We're here in the event there's a communication barrier

  • Air traffic team keeps sky safe

    Most people can see the daily air traffic at any air base, but they do not see the driving forces that keep the aircraft from having midair collisions.At one forward-deployed location, that behind-the-scenes action is a dual effort by the 321st Operations Group's radar approach control and air

  • Air transportation Airmen support Japan relief operations

    On March 11, an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan and a tsunami followed, creating widespread destruction throughout the country. Within a short time, U.S. service members were gearing up to support a response, and air transportation Airmen, also known as aerial porters, were no exception.Aerial

  • Air transportation career field benefits from mobile learning

    Two Airmen with the Air Mobility Warfare Center’s Mobility Operations School are helping fellow air transportation Airmen keep up on their training -- no matter where they are in the world. The effort, called mobile learning or “M-learning,” refers to the use of handheld devices when used to enhance

  • Air transportation specialists key to life at Lajes

    Keeping Lajes Field members fed and informed is a vital job that falls on the shoulders of a 28-year-old sergeant's team, since virtually everything the base needs is flown into the small island off Portugal that Lajes Field calls home.Staff Sgt. Eric Brooks and the rest of his team at the 729th Air

  • Air turbulence research could lead to safer flights

    Air Force Research Laboratory officials are funding scientists who are researching ways to identify and predict turbulence through the detection of underlying air patterns. Researchers believe the detection of these underlying structures will make it possible to forecast clear-air turbulence. This

  • Air University aims to spark innovation, collaboration with MGMWERX

    Air University has long been considered the leadership-development center for the Air Force, and it continues its 72-year-long legacy with a new joint venture, named MGMWERX, in collaboration with the City of Montgomery, Montgomery County and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, to encourage

  • Air University debuts strategic publication, seeks articles

    Air University officials have announced the debut of a publication that will serve as a forum for the critical examination of and debate about contemporary national defense topics. They are inviting authors to share their perspectives on strategic issues in today's headlines. Topics of discussion

  • Air University earns accreditation

    After an exhaustive three-year process, Air University has been granted initial accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools retroactive to Jan. 1.The commission accredits degree-granting higher-education institutions and entities that meet its

  • Air University education database down

    A computer system managing various aspects of Air Force member's education experienced a serious technical malfunction May 13, impacting Air University distance learning, related education records and test control facilities Air Force-wide.Enlisted and officer distance learning for professional

  • Air University educational computer system partially restored

    Air University officials here announced June 15 that most functions are restored to a computer system responsible for the majority of Air Force distance education.The Course Development, Student Administration/Registrar system crashed in mid-May and with it went the ability to support much of

  • Air University Fellows: ‘I can’t imagine not having done this’

    The Air University fellows program allows high-performing officers to serve as faculty members before or after completing in-resident Air Command and Staff College, which increases the overall quality of AU faculty while giving officers enhanced developmental opportunities.

  • Air University focused on deterrence

    The end of the Cold War, coupled with the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, caused American decision-makers to focus on present-day conflicts, but a resurgent Russia, the rise of new non-state actors and new threats in the cyber realm have brought about a renewed focus on the concept of deterrence,

  • Air University hosts 65th National Security Forum

    Air University’s Air War College opened its doors to more than 100 community leaders, representing 39 different states, from May 8-10, 2018, to help solidify bridges and relationships between the military and the civilian sectors through the annual National Security Forum, hosted and sponsored by

  • Air University hosts counterinsurgency symposium

    Air University officials hosted the 2007 Air Force Symposium on Counterinsurgency April 24 through 26 here and speakers spoke on counterinsurgency in the present day warfare environment and the Air Force's role in counterinsurgency operations. Air University Commander Lt. Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz said

  • Air University hosts first-ever JADO, JADC2 symposium

    The symposium objectives were to examine the development of concepts to ensure dominant planning, decision and execution, or PDE, cycles in highly contested and degraded environments and to identify key PDE issues affecting JADO and JADC2 future concepts.

  • Air University invests in technology to mitigate airborne pathogens at OTS

    The strategy for the current Officer Training School class included prescreening the 305 officer trainees before and after they arrived for class at the end of March, strict adherence to physical distancing, frequent sanitizing of contact surfaces, coordinated student movement and implementation of

  • Air University leader presents honorary degree to former astronaut

    The commander of the first mission to orbit the moon received an honorary doctor of science degree by Air University officials for his contributions to aviation and space exploration at the Air Force Test Pilot School June 13 here. Retired Col. Frank Borman, the leader of the Apollo 8

  • Air University offers online language training

    Air University officials here are offering an opportunity to active-duty company grade officers to study a foreign language online at no cost. In an effort to fulfill the Air Force chief of staff's guidance to develop culturally and linguistically competent Airmen, Air University will present the

  • Air University officials reflect on ABC enlisted degree program's success

    It's been a year since the Community College of the Air Force launched the Air University Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative program for enlisted Airmen and Air Force officials are pleased with the program's results thus far. When the program started June 15, 2007, Air University officials

  • Air University publication targets strategic 'think tanks'

    Air University officials here in September released the inaugural issue of Strategic Studies Quarterly to help meet Air Force chief of staff's vision of injecting air, space and cyberspace perspectives into the intellectual battle space. "We must ensure our warfighting future," Gen. T. Michael

  • Air University reorganization yields new AF research group

    Air University is creating a new, independent research institute that will supplement AU idea-generating capacity and support air and space research inquiries from the chief of staff, as well as other top-level decision makers. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley emphasized in a recent

  • Air University rolls out new ALS curriculum

    Academic experts at the Barnes Center took a look at the ALS curriculum and decided a new, modernized plan was overdue. Several of the more than 60 Airman Leadership Schools around the world are currently testing the course ahead of the Air Force-wide release scheduled for June 5.

  • Air University stands up Global College of PME, adds enlisted education

    Air University reorganized and renamed its distance learning program to the Global College of Professional Military Education reflecting the direction civilian institutions are taking with their online courses and to recognize and welcome the addition of enlisted PME programs.