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U.S. Air Force News

  • Al Udeid unit keeps bombs ‘locked on target’ in AOR

    Carrying the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, the multi-mission B-1B Lancer is the backbone of America's long-range bomber force and is a key resource for strike operations throughout the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility.

  • 'Iron Horse' sets off for final flight

    The 23rd Wing at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, sent the Air Force's oldest C-130 to the "boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, for its retirement March 3.

  • Striking the heart of the enemy

    Since November 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has suffered the loss of at least a dozen senior leaders due to coalition airstrikes. Airmen in the Strike Aircraft Maintenance Unit are doing their part to remind the world that arguably no one performs these missions better than

  • Enlisted European leaders attend first sergeant symposium

    Enlisted leaders from air forces throughout Europe visited Ramstein Air Base, Germany to attend the Kaiserslautern Military Community First Sergeant Council's First Sergeant Symposium along with 120 Airmen from around the KMC Feb. 23 to 27.

  • Mock trials teach SAPR through demonstration

    Airmen from the Kunsan Air Base First Term Airmen Center witnessed a sexual assault mock trial, providing a realistic portrayal of a trial. It was an attempt to highlight the emotional, legal and wide-reaching ramifications of sexual assault on individuals, work sections and units involved.

  • WWII pilot reunited with P-47

    Sitting in a wheelchair with images of airplanes on his shirt and a U.S. Army Air Corp hat on his head, 92-year-old retired Air National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 2 Robert Hertel was reunited with the P-47 Thunderbolt during the Heritage Flight Training and Certification Course here Feb. 28.

  • AFSOUTH trains for humanitarian crisis, joint operations

    Air Forces Southern joined forces with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Southern Command and multiple other federal agencies to improve their ability to operate as a team in the event of a mass migration, Feb. 20-27, during exercise Integrated Advance 2015 (IA).

  • Vince Vaughn, USO Bring 'Unfinished Business' to Edwards AFB

    Actor Vince Vaughn treated troops and their families to an advance screening of his upcoming film, "Unfinished Business," during a Feb. 28 USO visit to Edwards Air Force Base, California.During a DoD News telephone interview, Vaughn shared his inspiration for meeting service members and their

  • Manpower: Man behind the math

    Having risen to the height of public interest since the commencement of Operation Resolute Support in January, the drawdown of U.S.

  • Handheld imaging tool expands aircraft inspection capability

    When pilots climb into the cockpit they expect their aircraft to perform as expected, regardless if take off is from a home or deployed location; but ensuring that the aircraft is healthy enough to fly has become a challenge for the Air Force.

  • Two-man shop engineers mission success

    The importance of the CE mission is vital at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, and with the eyes of the world following the development of the region; the execution of KAF’s engineering operation rests squarely on the shoulders of only two Airmen.

  • CMSAF inspires future leaders during Academy visit

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody kicked off the Air Force Academy's 2015 National Character and Leadership Symposium by showcasing the enlisted Airmen cadets will lead as officers once they graduate, and reminding them of the importance of leadership in the profession of arms.

  • Culture of change comes full circle

    Col. Jay Folds, the Task Force 214 and 20th Air Force director of operations, was the first colonel since the mid-1990s to pull alert at a launch control center Feb. 19, in the missile fields near Cheyenne, Wyoming.

  • ‘Military Saves Week’ highlights personal finance issues

    Defense Department officials have designated Feb. 23-28, as “Military Saves Week” to highlight the need for military families to reduce debt and save for the future, something Pentagon officials emphasize is key to force readiness.

  • NY Air National Guard completes 27th year of Antarctic science support

    The New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing concluded a five-month mission supporting the National Science Foundation's Antarctic Program as part of Operation Deep Freeze.Airmen from the 109th AW flew 241 missions, delivering more than 3,000 passengers and 2,250 tons of cargo and fuel to

  • Connection in the classroom

    The Patrick Air Force Base Professional Development Center (PDC) is not just a place for professional and leadership education, but as of Feb. 11, it's the most technically advanced professional development center in the Air Force.

  • Quality assurance: Making sure it’s done right

    Have you ever watched a movie, or professional wrestling, and find yourself rooting for the villain at the end?Around the flightline, there’s a group of ‘bad guys’ that represent their career field’s most knowledgeable maintainers and make up the office known as quality assurance.

  • Airmen missing from WWII accounted for

    The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced Feb. 23, that the remains of U.S. servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been accounted for and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

  • Mere minutes between life and death

    Staff Sgt. Wade Owen helped save the lives of Joe Akin, a retired Army veteran, by kicking down the door to Akin’s residence after he had succumbed to a nearly lethal dose of carbon monoxide.

  • Natural disaster response improved at Cope North 15

    More than 300 service members from six countries joined together to conduct the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) portion of exercise Cope North 15 from Feb. 15 to 18, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and throughout the region of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

  • Fueling the Strike Eagle's fire

    The shimmering heat waves that emanate from jet exhaust, the rumble of twin Pratt and Whitney engines, the unmistakable aroma of pure Jet A fuel. The sights, sounds and smells of F-15E Strike Eagles in flight are made possible in part by the tireless efforts of a group of Airmen strategically placed

  • Pay dates increase for civilians in 2015

    Civilian employees will have 27 pay dates in 2015 compared to the usual 26, so some employees might need to adjust their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contribution elections to receive the maximum agency matching contributions for 2015.

  • Nuclear oversight board members visit Minot AFB

    More than three dozen members of the Air Force's senior leadership, including Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, converged on Minot Air Force Base for a meeting of the Nuclear Oversight Board here today. The NOB is a quarterly

  • Small but mighty: ECONS packs a punch

    Airmen with the Expeditionary Contracting Squadron can tell you first hand what’s missing. From the construction flight to the services flight, all the way to the commodities flight, if you take them away, you end up with a deployment no one really wants to be on.

  • Academy, Kirtland Airmen rewarded for API ideas

    A human resources assistant at the Air Force Academy and an Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) officer at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, will be among the first to receive financial rewards from the Airmen Powered by Innovation program.

  • SBIRS constellation forms under one roof

    Airmen from the 460th Operations Group have made history by successfully completing the first series of Space Based Infrared System satellite and antenna communication on Jan. 28-30 from Block 10, the new operations floor, on Buckley Air Force Base, Colo.

  • Cope North 15 kicks off at Andersen

    Exercise Cope North 15 kicked off at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 15, and will run through Feb. 27, marking the 86th iteration of the multilateral training exercise.

  • Carter’s message to DOD workforce

    Ash Carter, who was sworn in as the 25th secretary of Defense Feb. 17, laid out his top priorities in a message to the Defense Department workforce.

  • Deputy secretary visits Minot, notes strong morale

    Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said morale is strong at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, after he visited facilities and spoke with Airmen Feb. 11, at the only base to host two legs of the nuclear triad.

  • International Affairs partners talk cooperation

    Ms. Heidi Grant, deputy under secretary of the Air Force Office of International Affairs, conducted a question and answer panel consisting of partner air force leaders from Denmark, Australia and United Arab Emirates during the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology

  • First AF theater security package deploys to Europe

    This week the U.S. Air Force deployed 12 A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and approximately 300 Airmen as part of a theater security package to the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem Air Base in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.

  • Air Force Medical Service 2014 annual award winners announced

    It is with great pride that the Air Force Surgeon General announces the recipients of the Air Force Medical Service 2014 Annual Awards. The categories include both individual and team awards, based on criteria outlined in Air Force Instruction 36-2856, “Medical Service Awards.”

  • AF conducts massive protected MILSATCOM test

    The Air Force concluded a six-month rigorous and complex multiservice operational test and evaluation of its Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF)system in January at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.

  • Arctic conditions make cleaning waste a challenge

    Members of the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron, along with five other state and federal agencies, practiced techniques to deal with oil or hazardous waste spills under cold weather conditions during an exercise here Feb. 3-5.

  • AF top leaders mentor future Airmen

    More than 30 Air Force general officers offered their time and expertise to high school students during the Black Engineer of the Year Award (BEYA) Conference Feb. 6, at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

  • Materiel command Airmen honor commander with Order of the Sword

    In an event steeped in medieval symbolism and military tradition, Air Force Materiel Command Commander Gen. Janet Wolfenbarger was inducted into the AFMC Order of the Sword during a ceremony Feb. 5, at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Ohio.

  • Airfield, aircrew safety after dark

    As the sun sets and the street lights come on, many service members and civilians from Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, head home after a long day of work. Meanwhile, some base members are just clocking in.

  • Fueling future training

    Tyndall Air Force Base is home to the world's largest F-22 Raptor fleet, and the only base that trains their pilots; but without the aircraft's maintainers, this impressive force could never take off from the ramp.

  • Tinker acquires land for KC-46A Pegasus maintenance

    Tinker Air Force Base officials announced Feb. 2, the acquisition of 158 acres of land on the southwest side of the base to stand up a depot maintenance facility for the Air Force's next-generation aerial refueling aircraft, the KC-46A Pegasus.

  • DISA rolls out DOD online communication tool

    The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) is rolling out a new online collaboration tool that offers Defense Department employees anywhere in the world secure web conferencing and secure instant messaging and chat capabilities.

  • Energy conservation projects announced, AF awarded most in DOD

    The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) recently announced Energy Conservation Investment Program (ECIP) projects it will fund for fiscal year 2016. The Air Force was awarded nearly half of them, more than any other Defense Department agency.

  • 20th CES wins conservation award

    The 20th Civil Engineer Squadron installation management flight at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, was awarded the General Thomas D. White Natural Resources Conservation Award in the large base installation category.

  • Greek, US training reaffirms rock-solid friendship

    With the White Mountains of Crete as their backdrop, U.S. and Hellenic air forces F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft soared to great heights and speeds as part of a continuing flying training deployment (FTD) Jan. 16 through Feb. 13 at Souda Bay, Greece.

  • US, Japan helicopter crews get on the same page

    Service members from the 459th Airlift Squadron invited Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) members from Camp Higashi-Tachikawa, to ride along in two UH-1N Iroquois helicopters Jan. 29, 2015, near Tokyo.

  • Weather flight Airmen continue to support Bagram operations

    On an average day, the most critical information conveyed by a forecast might be whether it's advisable to carry an umbrella or not. However, the counsel of weather forecasters at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, has the power to ground planes.

  • Juniper Thunder strengthens AF, Army communications

    Airmen from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and Soldiers from Rhine Ordnance Barracks, Germany, came together here to take part in a joint communications exercise and establish bilateral communications across the two branch's networks, Jan. 19.

  • Cope South 15 successfully ends

    U.S. and Bangladesh air force (BAF) personnel joined together for the closing ceremony of exercise Cope South 15 (CS15) at BAF Base Bangabandhu, Bangladesh, Jan. 29.

  • Binding material to save Osprey engines

    The 58th Special Operations Wing has a plan to mitigate aircraft engine damage that happens during training missions using a biodegradable binding material at practice landing zones.TerraLOC — a material is described to 58th SOW officials as "Gorilla Glue on steroids," by its manufacturer -- binds

  • AFRL announces winners of student satellite competition

    Students representing 10 universities competed for the chance to send a satellite they designed and built into space. The competition was sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate University Nanosat Program.

  • Lead-in training increases Afghan capabilities

    Train, Advise, Assist Command – Air maintainers are providing lead-in training to Afghan air force airmen at the Kabul Air Wing in an effort to ensure they excel at the C-130 Hercules maintenance courses they will attend in the U.S.

  • Cope South experts exchange knowledge, techniques

    The flight line here at exercise Cope South 15 (CS15) is usually a flurry of activity every morning, with maintainers firing up auxiliary power units and loadmasters finalizing their cargo plan.However on Jan. 27, there wasn't a single C-130 Hercules aircraft engine running. Instead, U.S. and

  • Max Impact rocks ESPN

    The Air Force’s premier rock band, Max Impact, was presented with a short-notice, high-visibility opportunity while preforming at the Scottsdale Fan Fest, home to Entertainment Sports and Programming Network's live broadcast for Super Bowl XLIX in Scottsdale, Arizona, Jan. 27.

  • For the love of shooting

    If you were to ask Staff Sgt. Alan Daly to explain the role combat arms instructors play in the success of the 48th Fighter Wing mission, he would say that the base is a “forward, ready, now” base."That's what we do. We deploy," said the 48th Security Forces Squadron combat arms instructor.

  • Altus AFB assists with Army National Guard jump training

    Even with the noise of the aircraft flying 1,000 feet above the ground, the mood is quiet."Six minutes!" yells Staff Sgt. Laura Bourdlais, a 58th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, before she opens the side door revealing the lights of San Antonio, Texas, in the distance.

  • 341st MMXS missile communications train for field

    When it comes to ensuring the U.S.'s intercontinental ballistic missiles are ready at a moment's notice, an essential piece to the puzzle is proper maintenance on its communications network.This is where the 341st Missile Maintenance Squadron Missile Communications training section comes into play.

  • MAPS, PREL achieve all work cages ready for duty

    All 17 of the 341st Missile Wing's guided missile maintenance platforms (GMMP) became available for field use Jan. 14, according to Lt. Col. John Briner, the 341st Missile Operations Squadron commander. This feat is unprecedented in recent memory.

  • When severe winter weather threatens U.S. the Hurricane Hunters are there

    The Hurricane Hunters of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron here, recently deployed a WC-130J Hercules out over the Atlantic Ocean to gather weather data for winter storms "Lola” and “Juno", which are projected to ravage the East Coast throughout the next few days with nearly three feet of

  • AFSOUTH aids in training partners for UN Peace keeping mission

    Members of Air Forces Southern military training team were given the opportunity in December 2014, to teach the Defense Institute for Medical Operations train-the-trainer course focused on the Ebola virus to approximately 100 individuals from Latin American partner countries.

  • The 'daily flap' brings morale, leadership to Total Force team

    When reporting for the duty day, most maintainers go to their areas, prepare for their shift and begin the day's work. Yet the day begins a bit differently for some members in the 92nd Maintenance Squadron, where an Airman found a way to motivate, inspire and lead others with just a few words of

  • Ramstein Airmen train with French air force

    Airmen from the 37th Airlift Squadron participated in Volfa 15-1, an annual, multilateral training event led by the French air force at Orleans - Bricy Air Base, France, Jan. 21.

  • Airman pulls woman from burning vehicle

    As the flames grew more intense with each failed attempt to coax the shocked woman out of the car with words, Tech. Sgt. Justin Mahana knew they were running out of time, so he took a different course of action.

  • Yokota aircrew practices survival tactics in Fuji foothills

    An aircrew with the 36th Airlift Squadron at Yokota Air Base, Japan, tested their survival, evasion, resistance and escape capabilities Jan. 16 at Camp Fuji, Japan. The SERE-led exercise tested their ability to survive a simulated aircraft crash behind enemy lines.

  • 96th Test Group brings 'R2-D2' to life

    Remotely tucked away in the high desert of southern New Mexico, the 96th Test Group provides some of the most sophisticated military testing in the world. Often, their innovations and technological pursuits seem like works of science fiction, such as the group's latest project dubbed affectionately

  • Cross-utilization training solving problems for McChord Airmen

    After a year of cuts in both manning and fiscal resources, the 62nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here had to develop a creative way to keep the mission going strong by educating Airmen in other Air Force specialty codes (AFSCs) to assist the currently undermanned aircraft hydraulics section.

  • Andersen AFB Airman makes every dollar count

    An Airman from the 554th RED HORSE Squadron put his innovative thinking to the test, stepping up to the challenge put forth by Air Force leaders under a service wide cost saving initiative.Capt. Nassem Ghandour, the 554th RHS engineering flight deputy commander, was recognized through the Every

  • SAPR: Creating a culture shift

    According to officials from the Department of Defense's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program, rising reports of sexual assault is not only a good indication of a cultural shift in the force structure, but also on the utilization of SAPR resources.People who experience sexual assault are

  • Israeli air force training

    Maj. Kevin Coughlin, the 48th Airlift Squadron flight commander and an instructor pilot, had the opportunity to travel far from Little Rock AFB to train Israeli aircrew members beyond the initial training level.

  • DUI through a Defender’s eyes

    One quiet night while on shift, a security forces patrol leader and her partner witness a car rolling through the stop sign at a nearby intersection. With vehicle lights flashing, they initiate a traffic stop.After approaching the vehicle and requesting the required documentation – government I.D.,