NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • First sergeant steps up in time of need

    On Jan. 3, Alec Fonoti, a mechanic for the quartermaster laundry here, was preparing dinner with his family to take to a friend's house. With the meal packed, the family of nine loaded everything into their vehicle and left."The fire report said the burner on the left was still slightly on," Fonoti

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • ‘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.

  • AF holds 50th anniversary Vietnam War commemoration ceremony

    The Air Force is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War by honoring prisoners of war and missing in action, veterans and their families during a wreath-laying ceremony at 10:30 a.m. EST, March 2, at the Air Force Memorial in Washington D.C.

  • 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

  • AF senior leaders caution against sequestration

    The Air Force’s top two leaders justified their service’s funding proposal in the fiscal year 2016 President’s Budget request to members of the Senate Appropriations Committee during an Air Force posture hearing Feb. 25, in Washington, D.C.

  • CHIEFchat: TA rumors, slowing the growth of pay, benefits

    During his latest CHIEFchat, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody put to rest rumors of changes to tuition assistance. He also discussed military pay and benefits, the growing cyber domain, and master sergeant evaluation boards.

  • Staff sergeant beats cancer

    For many people, Independence Day is all about celebration, spending time with family and watching fireworks light up the night sky, but on July 4, 2014, there was no celebrating for Staff Sgt. Richard L. Johnson.

  • 2014 Air Force safety awards announced

    Air Force Chief of Safety Maj. Gen. Kurt F. Neubauer recently announced the recipients of the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff and Chief of Safety Awards for 2014.

  • 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.

  • SecAF visits Mountain Home

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, Feb. 18, to experience the base firsthand and meet the service members dedicated to making it run efficiently.

  • Riding for the future of cycling

    Following a full day of work developing Air Force models, Maj. Ian Holt, mounts his Felt bicycle and starts pedaling on a three-hour training ride. It's all part of the regimen prescribed by his coach leading up to the sixth Conseil International du Sport Militaire - the international military

  • A chaplain’s story: Legacy, life, love

    As a young boy growing up in West Palm Beach, Florida, Matthew Boyd understood he was destined to serve. With two granddads who served in World War I and a father's return home after World War II, Boyd said he knew he was born to be a warrior.Now a major in the Air Force, he continues the family

  • AF marks first RQ-4 non-military base landing

    A remotely piloted U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft landed Feb. 22, at Avalon Airport in Victoria, Australia, marking this the first time a high-altitude asset has flown into a non-military air base to be viewed by the general public.

  • DARPA nomination packages due March 16

    Commander-endorsed nomination packages for officers interested in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) fiscal year 2016 Service Chiefs Fellows Program are due to the Air Force Personnel Center March 16, officials announced.

  • 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

  • SecAF, AFGSC commander visit Malmstrom

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Air Force Global Strike Commander Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson visited Malmstrom Air Force Base Feb. 19, to meet with Airmen, specifically those who deploy to the missile fields, and see benefits of the grass-roots feedback program known as the Force

  • 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.

  • ISR invests in infrastructure, Airmen

    Increasing demands for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, coupled with limited funding across the Air Force, were discussed during the Air Force Association’s monthly breakfast Feb. 18, in Arlington, Virginia.

  • 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.

  • Air Force agents prevent online exploitation of children

    Child sex crimes are not unique to any particular base but are a perpetual problem across the Air Force and society. Online exploitation of children continues to be a problem and is routinely investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI). As part of this effort, AFOSI field

  • 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.

  • Museum volunteer shares story of service

    It was January 1945, and 21-year-old Lt. Donald Clark found himself piloting a C-47A Skytrain over the Western Front as the Battle of the Bulge was coming to an end. The aircraft was on its way to resupply Lt. Gen. George Patton's 3rd U.S. Army, and its tanks, with fuel and ammunition, as they began

  • 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.

  • Priorities of AF acquisition outlined at symposium

    Dr. William A. LaPlante, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, outlined the Air Force's top acquisition priorities during the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition Feb. 13, in Orlando, Florida.

  • 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.

  • Buckley Airman 'strikes out' competition

    Some people never get the chance to turn their hobbies into achievements, but one 2nd Space Warning Squadron Airman proved that if you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

  • Carter takes office as 25th Defense secretary

    Ash Carter became the 25th secretary of Defense Feb. 17, after having served previously as deputy defense secretary, defense acquisition chief and assistant secretary for global strategic affairs.

  • 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.

  • Evolution of perspective: Airman finds balance after diagnosis

    Senior Master Sgt. Daphne Soto never meets a stranger because each encounter opens a door to a potential new friend, or to someone who just needs to talk, and she'll keep the door open for both. But while she cares for her Airmen at all times, she had to learn that sometimes saying "no" is

  • Airmen are the key to air power

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James talked about the importance of a healthy budget, innovation and developing Airmen as key pieces to remaining the world’s greatest air power, during the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition Feb. 13, in Orlando,

  • 75 day leave carryover ends Sept. 30

    Effective Sept. 30, military members will no longer be able to carry more than 60 days of leave into the next fiscal year, in accordance with 2013 National Defense Authorization Act requirements.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • AF chief of staff: Call to the future

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III shared his thoughts on where the Air Force is, where it’s going and how it’s going to get there with an audience at the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition Feb. 12, in Orlando, Florida.

  • Cody gives enlisted perspective at AFA

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody outlined his top priorities for the enlisted force during the Air Force Association’s annual Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 12.

  • Avoid online dangers, unfriendly users on social media

    The internet instantaneously allows you to reach out across the internet superhighway to share information or connect with loved ones. Despite how innocuous this may seem, without taking the proper precautions, your personal information can inadvertently fall into the wrong hands.

  • PMEL: The standard's standard

    Zero mistakes. That's the standard the precision measurement equipment laboratory (PMEL) technicians are held to on a daily basis. One mistake in their shop could mean the difference between a guided weapons system firing on target or missing by several feet.

  • 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.”

  • Female U-2 pilot blazes trail through society and space

    As a child she imagined flying amongst the stars, thousands of miles above the earth’s surface, and today Lt. Col. Merryl Tengesdal is one of eight female pilots to ever fly the U-2 and the only black female pilot during the aircraft's history.

  • 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.

  • vESD 2.0 rolls out Air Force wide

    A brand new version of the Virtual Enterprise Service Desk (version 2.0) is now available on unclassified computer desktops on the Air Force network.

  • 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.

  • Key defense suppliers recognized for stellar delivery to warfighters

    Getting top-notch materiel to the warfighters in the most cost-effective and efficient manner is what the American public expects of defense contractors. One of the things the military services are now doing to incentivize industry to improve is by recognizing their top performers. This is

  • 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.

  • AF Ebola support winds down

    After more than four months of continuous airlift support to Operation United Assistance, the U.S. Air Force is winding down efforts in Senegal, Monrovia and Liberia.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Maintaining the technological edge

    Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Larry O. Spencer urged members of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to help the service maintain their technological edge at their winter board meeting Jan. 27.

  • AF introduces Volume 9 of Portraits in Courage

    The Air Force released its ninth volume of Portraits in Courage, highlighting five teams and seven individual Airman for their honor, valor, devotion and selfless sacrifice in the face of extreme danger to themselves and others.

  • ‘Super’ Airman becomes professional bodybuilder

    After a heavy weight workout, Senior Airman Terrence Ruffin walks over to a row of mirrors in the gym posing and flexing his muscles for more than half an hour. This behavior isn't an overabundance of ego or vanity, but a critical part of the training routine for Ruffin, a professional bodybuilder.

  • AF Assistance Fund in full swing

    The 2015 Air Force Assistance Fund Campaign has kicked off and will run until May 1. Air Force bases worldwide are participating in this fundraising event which raises money for four Air Force charities.