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  • Surviving 'face-breaking' speed

    For some it's about competition, for others it's an adrenaline rush, but for Derek Hamby, bicycling is about passion. Hamby, an avid bicyclist and manpower and organization chief at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, has been riding for close to 20 years. He takes trips with friends each year, just

  • New program prepares Airmen, families to bounce back after deployments

    Air Force services recently added a new tool to encourage service members and their families who are affected by deployments to participate in morale, welfare, and recreation programs and activities. The “Recharge for Resiliency” (R4R) initiative was designed to help Airmen readjust to life at home

  • Special Operations Forces commemorate liberation of France

    In the first events commemorating the 71st anniversary of the liberation of France, Special Operations Command Europe operators performed military free falls into U.N. designated world heritage site in Mont Saint-Michel, and participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the World War II Pontorson

  • Airman, wife help people in Philippine villages

    Every January for the past five years, Master Sgt. Cesar Jurilla, of the California Air National Guard’s 163rd Reconnaissance Wing, travels to these remote locations with his wife, Cora, as part of a team of doctors, nurses and nonmedical assistants who volunteer with the Filipino ministry of

  • Kunsan hosts Buddy Wing 15-4

    The 8th Fighter Wing is hosting members from the South Korean air force's 123rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Wing at Seosan Air Base, South Korea, to participate in exercise Buddy Wing 15-4 here June 1-5.

  • Kendall cites progress on F-35 performance, schedule, cost

    The F-35 Lightning II program (also known as the Joint Strike Fighter program) is making progress on performance, schedule and cost, Frank Kendall, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, told U.S. reporters last week during a teleconference from Norway.

  • Maintaining the vehicles that move the mission

    Imagine unloading 60,000 pounds of cargo by hand. Aircraft missions, personnel movements and supply distributions would come to a screeching halt. The time and resources necessary to accomplish such a task would be detrimental to the mission.

  • Programs provide opportunities for internships, jobs

    Recent college graduates interested in federal employment can take advantage of current open recruiting for the Recent Graduates Program as well as three other programs offered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to make becoming a federal employee easier.

  • Creech Airman resurrects AGE equipment, saves AF thousands

    With the phrase "do more with less" in the forefront of the minds of today's Airmen, the obligation to save money is still a top priority.For Tech. Sgt. Kasey Hollinger, a 432nd Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment craftsman, it was this priority that inspired him to try and complete the

  • French air force visit strengthens partnership

    Since its standup in 2009, Air Force Global Strike Command has worked to build and maintain a strong relationship with its allies in the French air forces.In continuing that partnership, Lt. Gen. Philippe Steininger, the commander of the French air force's Strategic Air Forces Command, along with a

  • BLUE: Human Performance

    Air Force TV here released the latest episode of the Air Force's flagship television program, BLUE.

  • Air Force Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • Diamond in the rough: An Airman’s recovery from his haunted past

    Growing up, many of his childhood nights were spent staring through a gaping hole in his bedroom ceiling. He didn't know how it got there, but sometimes it served as a pleasant escape from the surrounding chaos. It gave access to the wide open Oklahoma sky and he positioned his mattress in the

  • SecAF to cadets: ‘Lead Us Into The Future’

    Cadets graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy as second lieutenants are entering the profession of arms at a time of unprecedented change and challenges, said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James to the Class of 2015 May 28, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

  • Running on High Octane: POL fuels support, combat operations

    It’s 9 a.m. and even though it’s already 100 degrees outside, the temperature continues to climb.Chatter comes across the radio for a fuel request and Airman 1st Class Arnaldo, a fuels distribution operator, wipes the sweat off his face, hops into his R-12 Refueler and heads to the flightline. To

  • TAPS families honored at Pentagon event

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter hosted a family night for Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors families at the Pentagon, May 22, as part of the Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp for Young Survivors.

  • Tech Report: GPS

    The Global Positioning System is a constellation of orbiting satellites that provides navigation data to military and civilian users all over the world. The system is operated and controlled by the 50th Space Wing, located at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.

  • Kazakhstan native selected for officer training

    Senior Airman Aigerim Akhmetova, a C-17 Globemaster III supply clerk from the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron at Al Udied Air Base, Qatar, said she remembers waking up early to stand in line with her mother for loaves of bread while growing up in Kazakhstan when it was a Soviet republic.

  • Aviano F-16s take on Arctic Challenge 2015

    At the invitation of the government of Sweden, More than 150 Airmen and 12 F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, arrived at Norbotten Wing here in support of Arctic Challenge Exercise 2015.

  • AF recognizes a lifetime of service

    Air Force Assistant Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Stephen L. Hoog presented the Air Force Exceptional Service Award to retired Col. Arnald D. Gabriel during an Air Force Symphony performance at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, May 24.

  • Frankenphone: Creech Airman improves RPA communications

    n a crowded room of remotely piloted aircraft sensor operators, it would be easy to overlook him, yet his accomplishments scream for attention. His peers have labeled him a 'jack-of-all-trades' and after getting past his quiet first impression, it's easy to see why.

  • AF assigns new chief scientist

    The Air Force announced the service’s new chief scientist to serve as a science and technology advisor to the secretary of the Air Force and the chief of staff of the Air Force, May 21. Dr. Greg Zacharias will be the 35th chief scientist and is ready to “dive in” to his new role.

  • Air Force Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • Deli-bakery contract awarded for 44 commissaries

    A new contractor will start taking over deli-bakery operations next month at 44 Midwest commissaries that were impacted when a contractor-provided service ceased at the end of February, due to performance issues.

  • Luke's 56th Fighter Wing has new mission

    Luke Air Force Base's 56th Fighter Wing conducted a change of mission ceremony May 21, formally including the F-35 Lightning II as part of the wing's new mission statement.

  • Air Force leaders’ Memorial Day message

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III sent a Memorial Day message to the Airmen of the Air Force and their families.

  • AF phases in employees’ injury, illness compensation portal

    The Air Force, in conjunction with other Defense Department services, is phasing in the use of the Employees' Compensation Operations and Management Portal (ECOMP), which is intended to eventually replace the current system used to file injury and illness compensation claims.

  • AF successfully launches the AFSPC-5 mission

    The Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched the AFSPC-5 mission aboard the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) procured United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, May 20, at 11:05 a.m. EST. There were no issues reported with the

  • Air Force releases Strategic Master Plan

    The Air Force officially released the Strategic Master Plan (SMP) May 21, which is the latest in a series of strategic documents designed to guide the organizing, training and equipping of the force over the coming decades.

  • Summer safety begins with risk management

    Increased travel and leisure activities go hand in hand with the summer months, and require increased emphasis on risk management, said Bill Parsons, the Air Force chief of ground safety

  • Misawa cyber security best in DOD

    The cyber readiness team at Misawa Air Base, Japan, was rated the best in the Defense Department, following a Command Cyber Readiness Inspection (CCRI) May 11-15.

  • Joint Task Force 505 begins drawdown in Nepal

    Joint Task Force 505 is drawing down its earthquake relief operations as the Nepalese government and international aid agencies have postured for long-term recovery and reconstruction efforts.

  • Maintainers extend the battle against ISIL

    Fly, fight and win: words that are etched throughout Air Force history from the countless sorties flown in combat operations around the globe. Today, that legacy continues in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

  • DOD helps protect beneficiaries from deceptive pharmacy practices

    In the face of recent aggressive and deceptive marketing practices of some compounding pharmacies targeting TRICARE, the Defense Health Agency is taking aggressive action to help TRICARE beneficiaries, DHA's chief of pharmacy operations said in a recent interview.

  • Air Force moves to bring about RPA mission relief

    The Air Force is pursuing a range of options that will, in combination with a reset in the number of sustainable combat air patrols, help alleviate long-term stress on Remotely Piloted Aircraft crews.

  • Barksdale B-52s participates in CENTCOM exercise Eager Lion

    Two B-52 Stratofortress bombers assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing in Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, returned May 18, from a 30-plus hour, 14,000 mile nonstop mission to the U.S. Central Command area of operations, where they participated alongside Jordanian and other multinational forces in

  • Remembering Tech. Sgt. Anthony E. Salazar

    Tech. Sgt. Anthony E. Salazar, age 40, died April 13 in a noncombat related incident at an air base in Southwest Asia while serving during Operation Inherent Resolve. Salazar, a native of Hermosa Beach, California, was assigned to U.S. Air Forces Central Command’s 577th Expeditionary Prime Base

  • Remembering Capt. William H. Dubois

    Capt. William H. Dubois, age 30, died Dec. 1, 2014, when his F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed near a coalition air base in the Middle East while serving during Operation Inherent Resolve.Dubois, a native of New Castle, Colorado, was assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, South

  • Remembering Master Sgt. David L. Poirier

    Master Sgt. David L. Poirier, age 52, died Feb. 28, 2014, from a noncombat related incident at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.Poirier, a native of North Smithfield, Rhode Island, was assigned to the 157th Operations Support Squadron at Pease

  • Remembering Capt. David I. Lyon

    Capt. David I. Lyon, age 28, died Dec. 27, 2013, from wounds caused by an improvised explosive device in Kabul, Afghanistan, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.Lyon, a native of Sandpoint, Idaho, was assigned to the 21st Logistics Readiness Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base,

  • Remembering Staff Sgt. Todd J. Lobraico Jr.

    Staff Sgt. Todd J. Lobraico Jr., age 22, died Sept. 5, 2013, from wounds caused by small-arms fire near Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.Lobraico, a native of New Fairfield, Connecticut, was assigned to the 105th Security Forces Squadron at Stewart Air

  • Remembering Tech. Sgt. Herman Mackey III

    Tech. Sgt. Herman Mackey III, age 30, died May 3, 2013, in a KC-135 Stratotanker crash near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.Mackey, a native of Bakersfield, California, was assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington.

  • Remembering Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney

    Capt. Victoria A. Pinckney, age 27, died May 3, 2013, in a KC-135 Stratotanker crash near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.Pinckney, a native of Palmdale, California, was assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington.(This

  • Remembering Capt. Mark T. Voss

    Capt. Mark T. Voss, age 27, died May 3, 2013, in a KC-135 Stratotanker crash near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.Voss, a native of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was assigned to the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington.(This profile

  • Remembering Capt. Brandon L. Cyr

    Capt. Brandon L. Cyr, age 28, died April 27, 2013, in an MC-12 Liberty crash near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom. Cyr, a native of Woodbridge, Virginia, was assigned to the 906th Air Refueling Squadron at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. (This profile

  • Remembering Staff Sgt. Richard A. Dickson

    Staff Sgt. Richard A. Dickson, age 24, died April 27, 2013, in an MC-12 Liberty crash near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.Dickson, a native of Rancho Cordova, California, was assigned to the 306th Intelligence Squadron at Beale Air Force Base,

  • Remembering Staff Sgt. Daniel N. Fannin

    Staff Sgt. Daniel N. Fannin, age 30, died April 27, 2013, in an MC-12 Liberty crash near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.Fannin, a native of Morehead, Kentucky, was assigned to the 552nd Operations Support Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base,

  • Remembering Capt. Reid K. Nishizuka

    Capt. Reid K. Nishizuka, age 30, died April 27, 2013, in a MC-12 crash near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom.Nishizuka, a native of Kailua, Hawaii, was assigned to the 427th Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, California.(This profile is

  • Remembering Capt. James M. Steel

    Capt. James M. Steel, age 29, died April 3, 2013, in an F-16 Fighting Falcon crash near Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, while serving during Operation Enduring Freedom Steel, a native of Tampa, Florida, was assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.(This profile is

  • Joint Task Force-505, Nepalese army treat earthquake victims

    U.S. service members assisted officials, from the Government of Nepal and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with providing medical care for earthquake victims at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 12.

  • Increased mission requirements open doors for continued service

    The Air Force is introducing several personnel and manpower initiatives to meet increased mission requirements outlined in the fiscal year 2016 President’s Budget. The Air Force is undergoing a concerted effort to stabilize and grow the force by fiscal 2017, to include addressing key gaps in the

  • Initiatives to improve Air Force acquisition

    Addressing an audience of industry and government employees in Lexington, Massachusetts, May 13, the Air Force’s Service Acquisition Executive spoke about acquisition priorities, challenges and initiatives.

  • Equipment specialist saves AF money by building simulator

    Just a few months into his work as equipment specialist with Air Force engineering and technical services for the 732nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Tangog, a retired master sergeant noticed his leadership was looking for ways to save money on training.

  • The business of people: Life as a first sergeant

    Dedication is defined as a feeling of very strong support for or loyalty to someone or something, or the quality or state of being dedicated to a person, group or cause.It is this definition which embodies the attitude of a first sergeant. Colloquially called a shirt or first shirt, unwavering

  • Dispelling remotely piloted aircraft myths

    Public interest in remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) continues to grow thanks to increasing non-military uses and portrayal in popular culture. For the Air Force, remotely piloted aircraft are and will continue to be a vital mission set delivering vital airpower to combatant commanders throughout the

  • Exercise tests command's deterrent capabilities

    Air Force Global Strike Command’s bomb wings participated in exercise Constant Vigilance May 4-13, demonstrating the command's flexibility and global reach while testing its tactics, techniques and procedures.

  • Behind the scenes: Yokota supports Nepal

    Members of Yokota Air Base, serving at the primary airlift hub in the Pacific region, often deploy to provide humanitarian aid to countries stricken by natural disasters. In recent years alone, the 374 Airlift Wing has deployed to support regional countries such as Japan after the Tohoku earthquake

  • Air Force Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • AF chief scientist visits AFRL, receives service honor

    Dr. Mica Endsley, the chief scientist of the Air Force, met with Air Force Research Laboratory leaders at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, May 5-7, reviewing key Air Force science and technology programs, and attending a preview of the technology displays AFRL will feature at the Department of

  • Repair enhancement program breeds innovation, ingenuity

    A troubleshooter’s mindset, outside-the-box thinking, and raw talent — is what it takes to become a technician in the Air Force Repair Enhancement Program according to Sam Krahn, the 27th Special Operations Maintenance Group AFREP manager.

  • Air Force puts spotlight on fall protection

    Air Force Ground Safety sponsored Fall Protection Focus weeks from May 4-15 to raise awareness of fall hazards as well as how to mitigate fall-related accidents.Safety officials in Southwest Asia organized a fall protection demonstration to educate base personnel on proper preclimb procedures.