NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • BLUE: Space -- The High Ground

    The Air Force impacts billions of people across the world through operations in space, including GPS and missile warning. In this episode of BLUE we meet the Airmen who perform these missions, discovering what they do and why they do it.

  • 45th Space Wing supports GPS satellite launch aboard Atlas V

    The 45th Space Wing supported the Air Force's 11th launch of a Boeing-built Global Positioning System IIF satellite aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on Oct. 31.

  • Travis doctor saves hero Airman's life

    By the 20th hour of her 30-hour shift, she had already managed two gunshot victims when the call came into the emergency room.Just 2 miles away, an ambulance rushed to transport a 23-year-old male suffering from multiple stab wounds to Sacramento's only Level 1 trauma center, located at UC Davis

  • Stone promotes to senior airman, staff sergeant

    Spencer Stone, the airman first class who helped prevent a gunman’s attack on a French train in August, promoted to the rank of senior airman at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., Oct. 30, 2015. Following this promotion, Stone was promoted to the rank of staff sergeant, effective Nov. 1, by order of Air

  • AF 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.

  • ACC intel officer shares new ISR perspective

    Air Combat Command’s senior intelligence officer shared her perspective on fusion warfare with the intelligence community, defense industry and media during an Oct. 22 assembly at the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

  • KC-46A equipment processing begins at McConnell

    Another step toward the KC-46A Pegasus flying over Kansas started late October as 22nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Airmen began paving an innovative path through the maintenance equipment review process.

  • US, Polish airmen build capabilities, partnership

    The 86th and 182nd Airlift Wings are participating in bilateral training with the Polish Air Force during Aviation Detachment 16-1 in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve at Powdiz Air Base, Poland.

  • Full-time Airman, part-time MMA fighter

    Mixed martial arts fighting is not for the faint hearted. It takes effort and full-time dedication to be the best of the best in the octagonal cage. For Senior Airman Mark Wirth, a 819th RED HORSE Squadron structural engineer, he believes he has the motivation and dedication to rise from amateur to

  • AF announces KC-46A preferred, reasonable alternatives

    Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, has been chosen as the preferred alternative for the first Reserve-led KC-46A Pegasus main operating base, Air Force officials announced Oct. 29. The KC-46As are expected to begin arriving in 2019.

  • Shaw Airmen support flood-stricken communities

    When Hurricane Joaquin moved near the East Coast early October, the storm dumped record rainfall on South Carolina for six days, causing severe flooding across the state. In response, Shaw Air Force Base organizations assisted local communities, providing disaster relief to those affected by the

  • AF leaders testify on F-35 progress

    Leaders in the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office and the Air Force F-35 Integration Office testified on the fifth-generation aircraft’s development before a House Armed Services subcommittee Oct. 21 on Capitol Hill.

  • Peterson Airman’s tragic loss exemplifies resiliency

    After getting orders to South Korea, Tech. Sgt. Billy Gazzaway was missing his family, as anyone would. Far away from them, he received the horrible news that his 4-year-old son, who had already been diagnosed, treated and was in remission for leukemia, had relapsed.

  • Air Force releases new SAPR strategy

    Air Force leaders released a five-year Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Strategy that will guide the Air Force in developing a robust prevention model while continually honing response capabilities today.

  • Family isn't always blood

    People like routines, schedules and structure, especially in the military. Change can sometimes be unwelcome and overwhelming, particularly if it's a sudden, drastic change due to an illness. For Tech. Sgt. Thomas Echelmeyer, of the 21st Aerospace Medicine Squadron, that's exactly what happened. His

  • AF 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.

  • U-2 brought to forefront with ‘Spies’ premiere

    The Air Force’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission areas were highlighted with the release of a major motion picture Oct. 16. The Air Force Entertainment Liaison Office teamed with movie producers to tell the story of Capt. Francis Gary Powers, an Air Force U-2 pilot who was shot

  • Selva: USO volunteers offer hope to service members

    The USO volunteer force brings hope to service members in every corner of the planet, said Gen. Paul J. Selva, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the 2015 USO Gala and awards ceremony Oct. 20.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: HH-3E

    Getting stranded behind enemy lines is a concern during every combat mission and one aircraft set the standard for combat search and rescue during the Vietnam War -- the Sikorsky HH-3E.

  • Cybersecurity, OPSEC vital to mission success

    Every day, Air Force organizations and personnel are reminded of the importance of operations security and cybersecurity, and how integrating them into day-to-day operations helps protect proprietary and sensitive information from disclosure, espionage and exploitation.

  • Pope Airman awarded DOD’s ‘Spirit of Hope’

    Tech. Sgt. Rebeca Martin, assigned to the U.S. Air Force Combat Control School, was honored by the Defense Department during a ceremony Oct. 16 at the Pentagon where she received the 2015 Spirit of Hope Award, named after the legendary entertainer Bob Hope to recognize selfless service and a

  • Airmen of New York's 109th AW begin Antarctic mission

    The takeoff of the New York Air National Guard's LC-130 Hercules ski-equipped aircraft here Oct. 16 marked the official start of the 109th Airlift Wing's 28th season of support to science research at the South Pole.

  • Spirituality holds Airman up

    "It puts things into perspective," said Master Sgt. Wendell Barnes, the 35th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron commander support staff superintendent. "I love what I do in the military, but it is temporary and my faith is forever."

  • Moody honors fallen comrade

    Airmen, family and friends gathered at the Moody Air Force Base chapel to say their final goodbyes and honor the life of Tech. Sgt. Marissa Hartford during a memorial service Oct. 16.

  • C-130 crash victims remembered by colleagues, leaders

    More than 1,000 people attended a memorial service Oct. 16 to honor two Hanscom Air Force Base Airmen killed earlier this month when the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft they were on crashed shortly after takeoff from Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

  • Hill food court worker selected for DOD award

    Patricia Barson was honored Oct. 16 as one of the Defense Department's outstanding employees with a disability. She was selected for the award from among 32,000 AAFES employees worldwide.

  • Combat weather forecasters help keep pilots out of harm’s way

    It’s a tough job trying to predict Mother Nature and when it comes to weather, everyone’s a critic. Thinking the day holds nothing but sun and your picnic gets rained out can be aggravating. Now try to tell a pilot he can’t fly because the weather patterns shifted. This dilemma is something deployed

  • Nellis Airman 'LEAPs' into language program

    Capt. Reni Angelova, the 99th Medical Group practice manager, speaks Russian, Bulgarian and English while possessing master’s degrees in economics, law, business administration as well as international relations. She has worked as a teacher and a border patrol agent at one of the busiest checkpoints

  • Air Force sets weight restrictions for F-35 pilots

    Air Force leaders recently made a decision to restrict pilots weighing less than 136 pounds from flying the F-35A Lightning II due to safety concerns about the ejection seat in a portion of the flight envelope.

  • AF 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.

  • A1C Stone released from hospital after stabbing attack

    Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone was released from the University of California Davis Medical Center on Oct. 15 after receiving treatment for multiple stab wounds following an altercation in Sacramento last week.

  • Hill commemorates new era in combat airpower

    Hill Air Force Base officials and the Top of Utah community officially welcomed the F-35 Lightning II at a ceremony here Oct. 14, an event that formally marked the beginning of F-35 operations for the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings.

  • Mental strength leads Airman through tough times

    Surviving an unstable upbringing in Pittsburgh, she never expected to be grabbing onto the Eiffel Tower in Paris at age 21. What started as watching scenes of this historic landmark in movies led her to envision a life beyond her childhood confinement. This was it, the height of her bucket list.

  • NATO program develops tactical leaders

    Fighter pilots from seven allied countries, including the U.S., U.K., Spain, Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, and Italy completed the NATO Tactical Leadership Program here Oct. 9.

  • CSAF reveals new take on 'little blue book'

    The Air Force’s highest ranking uniformed Airman released the next edition of “Airman to Airman” -- a video series highlighting key issues and challenges facing the service.

  • C-5M scoops up in-flight data for NASA

    Lockheed Martin and Travis Air Force Base officials recently recorded in-flight noise and vibration data onboard a C-5M Super Galaxy, ensuring the newly upgraded airframe was still compliant with NASA requirements.

  • Cut Training keeps maintenance mission moving

    The 354th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron has created a program called Cut Training to train Airmen from different maintenance career fields to perform crew chief tasks and keep the mission going.

  • 460th Medical Group sharpens combat readiness skills

    The 460th Medical Group held annual combat leadership and combat medic training Oct. 1-4 at Fort Carson, Colorado. Learning how to continue the mission while under the stresses of combat is essential to being successful on the battlefield.

  • Cyberbullying: What can parents do?

    According to the Pew Research Center, in 2000, about half of adults in the U.S. were online and only 3 percent of American households were using broadband for internet access at home. That number increased and in 2014, Pew reported that 87 percent of American adults use the Internet.

  • Spirit in the sky

    As part of an initiative to provide more effective spiritual care to members of the Offutt Air Force Base’s flying community, 55th Wing chaplains are now becoming aerial qualified to go where aircrews go.

  • AF 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.

  • Airman 1st Class Stone in stable condition

    At approximately 1 a.m. PST, Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone, the Air Force service member who helped thwart a gunman’s attack on a French train in August, was involved in a stabbing incident in Sacramento, California. He was transported to a local hospital, and is currently in stable condition.

  • Remotely piloted aircraft training expands at Holloman

    The Air Force currently employs numerous remotely piloted aircraft in support of surveillance and reconnaissance missions throughout deployed locations, with the bulk of these missions are being placed specifically upon the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft.

  • 435th AGOW deploys team, expands OIR mission

    Full certainty is never guaranteed in the military, which is why Airmen are trained to deploy at a moment's notice and hit the grounding running when they’re called upon. For Airmen assigned to the 435th Contingency Response Group, that need came Aug. 12 when the unit deployed to Diyarbakir Air

  • German village honors fallen US Airman

    Second Lt. Priesley Cooper Jr. was shot down during a mission 70 years ago near the village of Dietingen, Germany, during World War II. Cooper remained buried at the village's local cemetery until 1950 when he was moved to an American cemetery in Belgium. But the village felt they could still do

  • AF announces squadron commander candidates

    More than 980 officers from 29 career fields were selected by development teams as 2016 support, logistics, materiel leader, training, recruiting and medical commander candidates.

  • October issue of Airman magazine now available

    The October issue of Airman magazine is now available. In the cover story, titled “World Class,” you’ll read about how a senior airman in the Air Force World Class Athlete Program is training in the Virginia mountains for a shot at making the 2016 Olympic Games.

  • October marks the beginning of AF Energy Action Month

    Every aspect of the Air Force mission depends on a reliable supply of energy.Transforming the way we use energy is critical to ensuring we will be able to balance today's readiness with tomorrow's modernization.

  • A little flare: Solar observatory monitors sun’s activity

    Ninety-three million miles away from the Earth sits a fiery sphere of hot gas.It’s 332,946 times the mass of Earth and has surface temperatures reaching 9,932 degrees, which is capable of disrupting satellites, power grids and even pilots flying at high altitudes. The sun launches these attacks

  • Airmen in C-130 crash identified, memorialized

    The six Airmen assigned to the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing who died Oct. 2 when their C-130J Super Hercules crashed shortly after takeoff from Jalalabad Airfield, Afghanistan, were identified Oct. 3 by the Defense Department.

  • Air Force, Navy hone skills in the skies

    F-22 Raptors from the 90th Fighter Squadron duked it out with F-18 Hornets from Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 15 to wrest as much training experience from each other Sept. 14-25.

  • Negotiation a core capability for all Airmen

    The secretary of the Air Force announced a commitment to formally solidify the Air Force Negotiation Center as the focal point for negotiation research, teaching and outreach efforts while speaking at the Women in Negotiation Summit in New York City Oct. 1.

  • AF 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.

  • Welsh, Cody visit Hurlburt Field

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody visited thousands of Air Commandos Sept. 28-30.

  • Acquisition general speaks on priorities, Should Schedule

    The Air Force Association hosted its monthly Air Force breakfast with keynote speaker Lt. Gen. Arnie Bunch, military deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, in Arlington, Virginia, Sept. 24.AFA’s AF Breakfast Program is a monthly series that offers a setting for senior Air Force

  • Air Force kicks off Energy Action Month

    October is Energy Action Month throughout the federal government and in the Air Force. During the month, the Air Force will run several campaigns in order to promote using energy wisely.

  • AF streamlines expeditionary readiness training

    Air Force officials announced the creation of a new streamlined Expeditionary Readiness Program governance construct that replaces the current tiered predeployment training model.The updated program is designed to ensure expeditionary readiness training is relevant, effective, timely, synchronized,

  • Airmen, families celebrate Worldwide Day of Play

    Approximately 350 families from Peterson and Schriever Air Force bases got off the couch and went outside to play during Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play event held in Patriot Park Sept. 26.

  • SERE: The drive to survive

    Staff Sgt. Robert Rogers, 374th Operations Support Squadron SERE training NCO in charge, has been serving the Air Force as a SERE specialist for eight years.

  • Airmen learn to weather missions with Cadre Focus

    To provide real-time weather intelligence for Army operations in Europe, the 7th Weather Squadron honed their skills at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Sept. 14-18 during Cadre Focus 2015.

  • RED HORSE Airmen lend helping hand to homeless shelter in Guam

    RED HORSE Airmen are part of a uniquely trained unit that provides rapid response for quick airfield or facility repairs in remote areas. But Airmen assigned to 554th RED HORSE Squadron -- short for Rapid Engineer Deployable Heavy Operations Repair Squadron Engineers -- used their training in a

  • RPA maintainers accomplish mission despite low retention

    The constant and insatiable demand for remotely piloted aircraft airpower places stressors on nearly every career field within the RPA enterprise. For some Airmen of the 432nd Maintenance Group, the fast-paced deployment rotation, constant shift work, time away from family, limited assignment

  • AF senior leaders host suicide prevention summit

    Subject matter experts of mental and behavioral health, community support and Airmen across ranks and career fields gathered to discuss resiliency and suicide prevention at Joint Base Andrews from Sept. 22-25.

  • Families mark 20 years since tragic loss of AWACS crew

    On Sept. 22, 2015 -- 20 years after Yukla 27's final flight -- more than 150 friends and family members gathered in a frigid Alaska morning, having flown in from all over the world to honor the 24 crew members lost that day.

  • DFAS serves 21st century Airmen

    Maj. Gen. Mark Brown visited the Defense Finance and Accounting Service headquarters here Sept. 16, during the agency’s annual business meeting to speak about 21st century Airmen and how DFAS could help service today’s generation.

  • Stepping stones: Airman's path to K-9 career

    Face-to-face with an energetic German Sheppard, Senior Airman Alyssa Stamps grabs a ball chucks it across the yard. The dog stampedes after it, but instead of returning, he sits with his back to her in the corner of the yard and refuses to cooperate.Stamps, a military working dog handler with the

  • Small team keeps combat hospital up, running

    A small team of Airmen provide the logistics and facilities management needed to keep Craig Joint Theater Hospital ready to care for patients at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.