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U.S. Air Force News

  • Airmen demonstrate Rapid Global Mobility in Venezuela humanitarian mission

    Airlifting 250 tons of relief supplies to alleviate a humanitarian crisis on the other side of the hemisphere requires layers coordination between multiple military and civilian agencies in a condensed timeframe. That’s what Airmen of the 305th Air Mobility Wing accomplished Feb. 16, delivering more

  • Phase dock keeps F-16s in top shape for Operation Inherent Resolve

    With each strike, coalition partners move a step closer to the defeat of ISIS’ so-called physical caliphate. The 55th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron’s relentless pursuit supporting Operation Inherent Resolve comes with an insatiable maintenance need for the F-16C Fighting Falcons at the 407th Air

  • Army GLO connects ground intent to air action

    Communication between the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard is similar to trying to understand a different language because each service uses different lingo and acronyms in their daily operations.

  • Cobra Gold 19: Pilot's best friend

    On a flight line shrouded in a constant haze and tortured by Thailand’s relentless sun, the sounds of jet engines and jungle birds fill the ears of Staff Sgt. Travis Davis, 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief; a best friend to any 35th Fighter Squadron pilot who puts their trust in crew

  • CRW delivers agile mobility expertise during exercise Green Flag Little Rock

    The sound of gunfire echoed across the open field at the Geronimo Landing Zone as Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing based out of Travis Air Force Base, California, responded to a simulated base attack during a training mission in support of Green Flag Little Rock exercise, Feb. 6-17.

  • Davis-Monthan AFB exercise balances flexibility, survivability, lethality

    Landing in an austere location, a small number of Airmen move at a rapid pace to accomplish a very specific mission. With only the supplies needed to survive for a week, they begin to unload food, shelter and equipment. After unloading, they set up a campsite as home base for their operations.

  • Air Force Tech Report: Chem light replacement

    Chemical illumination has been a useful tool for military operations for years in the form of chem lights or glow sticks. However, glow sticks could be a hindrance to carry around. The Air Force Research Lab has exponentially lightened the load to allow chemical illumination in the form of a crayon,

  • Desert Depot: Equipping and supplying the fight

    Within the 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron there is a shop that stores and issues mission essential items. From batteries to aircraft parts, the Desert Depot provides them to the warfighters at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates.

  • Columbus AFB instructor pilots connect with Virginia Tech AFROTC cadets

    It’s not everyday cadets are given the opportunity to work closely with U.S. Air Force pilots; however, the Virginia Tech Air Force ROTC Detachment 875 was given the chance when instructor pilots from the 37th and 48th Flying Training Squadrons visited the university Feb. 8-11.

  • Donovan: Readiness, force lethality begins with training

    Under Secretary of the Air Force Matthew P. Donovan, the second highest ranking civilian in the Department of the Air Force, visited Sheppard on Feb. 14, 2019, to see how the Air Force’s largest and most diverse technical and undergraduate pilot training base is employing technology to train today’s

  • B-52s lead joint training across Hawaiian Islands

    Air and ground force elements came together across the Hawaiian Islands this week to jointly participate in close air support (CAS) training with U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.

  • 374th OG: A breath of fresh air

    With the help of the 374th Operations Group, Yokota Air Base C-130J Super Hercules aircrews are always ready for potential chemical and biological threats.

  • 35th Fighter Squadron launches into Cobra Gold 19

    The 35th Fighter Squadron departed on Feb. 6, and the 35th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron departed on Feb. 7 to participate in Exercise Cobra Gold 19 in a historic redeployment to Korat Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand.

  • EOD Airmen detect, disarm, protect

    The Joint Defense Operations Center calls about a confirmed or suspected explosive ordnance disposal incident. Three Airmen rush out the door, set up their truck and immediately depart for the incident site. They head out with a security element to safely transport them to the location. For them it

  • Red Flag strengthens F-35A maintainers

    After more than two weeks launching F-35A Lightning II sorties at Red Flag 19-1, maintainers with the 388th Fighter Wing are impressed with the jet and the young airmen who help maintain it.

  • Airmen, dignitaries celebrate KC‐46 arrival

    Reserve Airmen assigned to the 730th Air Mobility Training Squadron, dignitaries and Air Force leaders accepted the new KC‐46A Pegasus during a historic arrival celebration Feb. 8 at Altus Air Force Base.

  • 'Trial by Flag' for new F-35A pilots

    F-35A pilots who recently graduated their initial training and are currently deployed to Nellis Air Force Base as part of exercise Red-Flag 19-1. Now they are being battle-tested.

  • CMSAF Wright testifies before Congress on Air Force quality of life

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright told members of Congress at Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., Feb. 7, that issues such as adequate base housing, reliable child care and other quality of life factors are “inextricably linked” to the service’s readiness.

  • Pilot training moving at the speed of innovation

    The 80th Flying Training Wing is moving at the speed of innovation and is bound to only get faster as visionaries incorporate the latest in mixed realities to boost undergraduate pilot training.

  • Kansas Guard Airman innovates superior training method

    With a high deployment tempo and limited aircraft, finding the aircraft available for boom operators to practice tying down cargo to the floor of the jet was almost always a problem. Master Sgt. Nathan Neidhardt, 190th Operations Group aircrew training noncommissioned officer in charge, solved this

  • Project HeRO improves squadron health habits

    A new Air Force Health and Readiness Optimization program, or HeRO, seeks to partner with squadrons by using data to help Airmen improve health habits that impact readiness.HeRO represents a reboot of Air Force Health Promotion efforts. It is designed to target at-risk squadrons using data and

  • US, Philippine AF concludes bilateral air contingency exchange

    U.S. and Philippine air forces Airmen marked the successful completion of 12 days of bilateral training and increased mutual cooperation during the seventh iteration of Bilateral Air Contingent Exchange-Philippines, or BACE-P, at Cesar Basa Air Base, Feb. 1, 2019.

  • One weekend, three countries, helps nearly 130,000 people

    Over a weekend-long combined humanitarian and training mission, three C-17 Globemaster III aircraft and their Reserve Citizen Airmen crews from the 315th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Charlston, S.C. delivered humanitarian aid to Guatemala, Haiti and Honduras, Feb. 3-4.

  • Hurricane Hunters fly Atmospheric Rivers

    In November 2018, California experienced one of its most destructive fires with more than 150,000 acres burned, 18,000 homes destroyed, over 80 deaths, and with the winter rainfall season ahead, heavy rain can bring flooding and mudslides.

  • Air Force analyzes operational efficiency – one airframe at a time

    The Energy Analysis Task Force, or EATF, led by the deputy assistant secretary of Air Force Operational Energy, has been systematically visiting Air Force bases around the country to observe actual training and mission flights, and speak with flight crews (to include operators and maintainers) about

  • Air Force, industry meet to discuss rebuilding Tyndall

    Air Force representatives met with more than 450 industry professionals and community leaders Jan. 31 to begin a dialogue and partnership that will eventually lead to the rebuilding of Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, as an “installation of the future.”

  • Around the Air Force: Scribes Program / C-SATS

    On this look Around the Air Force, the Air Force Scribes program gives patients more face time with doctors and Crowd-Sourced Assessmentof Technical Skills provides surgeons with virtual feedback to help improve skills.

  • Sub-zero temps won't stop the warfighter

    Offutt Air Force Base Airmen battled through some of the coldest weather to hit Nebraska in decades as they participated in the first 2019 Operational Readiness Exercise held here January 28 – 30.

  • AtHoc Emergency Mass Notification System receives upgrade

    AtHoc, an interactive warning system that allows senior leaders to inform base personnel of urgent information such as base closures or delayed openings, recently received updates to its system that requires the user to verify contact information.

  • Around the Air Force: Pegasus Ceremony / Enlisted Academy Instructors

    On this look Around the Air Force, the secretary of the Air Force and chief of staff of the Air Force commemorate the first KC-46 Pegasus at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas and enlisted Airmen will be hired for faculty teaching positions at the Air Force Academy. Hosted by Senior Airman Cory

  • Virtual training platform maintains, improves military surgeons' skills

    It is vital for medical Airmen to continuously maintain and improve their skills. To access more training opportunities, military surgeons are looking to virtual training platforms. The Air Force is working with sister services to study a virtual training platform called Crowd-Sourced Assessment of

  • 97 AMW boom operators prepare for future KC-46 students

    The 56th Air Refueling Squadron has been training the past few months to ensure they are ready for the arrival of the KC-46 Pegasus. While simulators are useful, scheduling and usage can create delays that slow the process of training. That is where part-task trainers, or PTTs come into play.

  • Last chance for life: US, PAF airmen exchange egress ideas

    U.S. Air Force members from the 113th Maintenance Squadron participated in a subject matter expert exchange with Philippine Air Force 430th Aircraft Maintenance Group Egress personnel, during the Bilateral Air Contingent Exchange-Philippines, or BACE-P, at Cesar Basa Air Base, Jan. 22.

  • Changes at HQ AETC focus on Force Development Efforts

    Lt. Gen. Steve Kwast, commander of Air Education and Training Command, announced changes to Headquarters AETC and to 2nd and 19th Numbered Air Force organizations today, in order to refocus the headquarters on force development efforts.

  • Around the Air Force: VR Demo / 3-D Printed F-22 Part

    On this look Around the Air Force, a virtual reality and augmented reality demonstration at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., and an F-22 Raptor gets a 3-D printed part. Hosted by Staff Sgt. Braden Anderson.

  • AFIT earns new research classification ranking

    The Air University’s Air Force Institute of Technology entered the category of High Research Activity for a doctoral university from the 2018 update of the Carnegie classification. AFIT is the only Department of Defense academic institution to hold this specific categorization.

  • Offutt hub for new Air Force comptroller software

    The 55th Comptroller Squadron Financial Management Flight recently began testing a new scanning software, EPHESOFT. The software is used to send documentation to the Air Force Financial Services Center at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, responsible for the processing and payment of temporary

  • ‘Eye in the sky’ surveillance at Al Udeid

    According to Air Force doctrine, air superiority requires basic freedom of movement – the ability to operate anywhere without opposition. Twenty three Airmen from the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, Detachment 3, here, enable this level of control, ensuring no aircraft within 240 nautical

  • Virtual, augmented reality may hold key to future Air Force training

    A demonstration of how virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) can benefit Air Force training processes took place Jan. 8.The demonstration was geared toward Airmen within the aircraft armament systems and munition systems, and gave a glimpse of how VR/AR applications can aid in providing an

  • 380th ESFS and ECES conduct joint training

    The 380th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron military working dogs team conducted a small-scale training event with 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal and fire department Jan. 15 at Al Dhafra Air Base.

  • CSAF lauds combat RPA innovation

    Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein visited Creech Air Force Base to meet with 432nd Wing and 432nd Air Expeditionary Wing Airmen, Jan. 15.

  • Danish officer shares international security expertise

    The Combined Air Operations Center is home to a multitude of coalition members, and all have their specific roles in the fight against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. One member, Royal Danish Air Force Lt. Col. Lars Cramer-Larsen, RDAF chief coalition strategist, provides his expertise and research

  • The 736th SFS are defenders of the force

    The dictionary defines the word “defender” as a person who defends someone or something. It’s no coincidence security force members throughout the Air Force use this moniker. Defender is well-suited; however, just one word could not speak to their flexibility, warrior ethos or enormous

  • Travis, Army transport Black Hawks to Alaska

    From Jan. 11 to 13, it was the job of the C-5M Super Galaxy aircrew and aerial port specialists at Travis Air Force, California to join in efforts with the Army to transport four UH-60 Black Hawks from California to the helicopters’ home base at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

  • BLUE: Blueprint to Battlefield

    Getting new technology from the lab bench to the warfighter has taken on new urgency as the Air Force explores innovative ways to move ideas quickly from blueprint to battlefield. Those efforts are already paying off with advancements that are having a direct effect on missions around the world.

  • 380th ECES stay ready through HAZMAT Exercise

    The 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department and Emergency Management flights conducted an outdoor hazardous material exercise at Al Dhafra Air Base, Jan. 4.

  • Email in the cloud: CHES phase 1 completion

    On Nov. 8, 2018, the Air Force Network Integration Center, or AFNIC, concluded the first phase of the Air Force’s transition to Cloud Hosted Enterprise Services, completing the migration of 555,000 continental U.S. based Air Force hosted e-mail accounts to a Microsoft Office 365 collaboration

  • Around the Air Force: Pitch Day, Space Flag, ANG Rescue

    On this look Around the Air Force “Pitch Day” will give small businesses and startups a fast track to partner with the Air Force, Space Flag tests warfighting capability, and the Alaskan Air National Guard rescues three civilians.

  • Beneath the skies: Aircraft maintainers

    One of the largest support structures here at the 332d Air Expeditionary Wing can be broadly defined as aircraft maintainers. This not only includes those individuals who perform pre-flight, thru-flight (where an aircraft returns from a mission then embarks on another mission within a couple hours)

  • Arkansas Airman fixes hospital equipment in Guatemala

    Throughout a week-long medical readiness training exercise, 30 Airmen from the 189th Airlift Wing and 188th Wing saw more than 2,000 patients. While that number is a feat in itself, one Airman used his knowledge to support the local community in a different way.

  • JB Langley surgical team goes 'purple'

    A joint surgical team comprised of three separate branches assembled at U.S. Air Force Hospital Langley at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, in December 2018 to perform an operation.

  • Innovation in tight spaces

    As Hurricane Michael churned toward the Emerald Coast of Florida, F-35A Lightning IIs from the 33rd Fighter Wing evacuated to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, to avoid the storm’s path and potential catastrophic damage. As Michael passed, narrowly missing Eglin AFB, a different type of storm

  • Uniform code of military justice changes

    Effective Jan. 1, 2019, the Military Justice Act of 2016 will instate the most reform to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and Manual for Courts-Martial in decades, modernizing dated aspects of the military justice system while also providing transparency.

  • US, Polish SOF enhance abilities through culmination exercise

    Clouds make way for the first pass of combat controllers from the U.S. and Polish forces as they free fall out of an MC130J Commando during a culmination exercise near Krakow, Poland recently. The joint team is determined to put all their recent training into action as they steer their parachutes

  • First GPS III satellite successfully launched

    The Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched the first Global Positioning Systems III satellite Dec. 23 from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The Lockheed Martin-built satellitewas carried to orbit aboard a Space Exploration Technologies

  • Fighter exercise Sentry Aloha 19-1 completed

    More than 800 Airmen, Sailors and Defense Department civilians from nine states completed exercise Sentry Aloha, a large-scale fighter exercise, , Dec. 19, at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

  • Air Force begins work on Tyndall AFB rebuild with PMO

    Following Hurricane Michael, the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center and its partners established a program management office at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, to lead redevelopment and reconstruction efforts.

  • From start to finish: Air Force Reserve MTI's lead BMT total force flights

    Ten Air Force Reserve 433rd Training Squadron military training instructors guided four total force basic military training flights through eight and a half weeks of training and education in preparation for their Dec. 14 BMT graduation at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. It was the first