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  • F-35 begins integrated training with F-16 at Luke

    In October, pilots of the 56th Fighter Wing began flying integrated direct support practice sorties in the F-35A Lightning II and the F-16 Fighting Falcon for the first time as a regular component of the training curriculum at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.

  • New RQ-4 engine depot opens on Tinker AFB

    The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex recently stood up the overhaul and repair capability for a new workload in the F-137 engine. This new workload is a partnership with Rolls-Royce, and the first venture of this kind with this engine manufacturer.

  • Around the Air Force: Nov. 25

    On this look around the Air Force, NASA launches a new weather satellite, Airmen train with Marines during Vigilant Ace 17-1, and Serbian support during World War II is commemorated.

  • AF supports improved method for transporting TBI patients

    Scientists with the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine are playing an important part in the testing and evaluation of a novel aeromedical evacuation stretcher designed to safely transport traumatic brain and spinal injury patients in air and ground vehicles.

  • Training ISR warriors faster, smarter through mobile apps

    There are roughly 12,000 intelligence professionals assigned to 25th Air Force, 70 percent have less than five years of military service, and most of those Airmen are millennials; multi-taskers who thrive on high-tech, mobile and innovative training methods.

  • Around the Air Force: Nov. 22

    On this look around the Air Force, Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico has been selected to be the interim home for two F-16 Fighting Falcon training squadrons, the secretary of defense got a close look at special operations Airmen at work, and the Air Force has concluded an F-16 crash

  • Goldfein discusses changing face of war

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein spoke with Defense One’s Marcus Weisgerber in Washington D.C. Nov. 17 and gave the reasoning behind the changes being contemplated for the future of defense. In addition to being responsible for the “man, train and equip” mission for the Air Force, the

  • 45th SW supports successful Atlas V GOES-R launch

    The 45th Space Wing supported NASA’s successful launch of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, Nov. 19.

  • Intel training streamlined

    When it comes to having the leading edge in air, space and cyberspace, non-commissioned officers from the 70th Operations Support Squadron have taken it to a new level, training Airmen on the importance of Air Force National Tactical Integration (AF NTI).

  • Wounded warriors given avenues during CARE event

    Nearly 130 Air Force wounded warriors and caregivers attending the latest Air Force Wounded Warrior (AFW2) Program’s CARE event at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, from Nov. 14-18 received tools and resources to help them deal with their individual challenges.

  • C-17 Weapons Instructor Course relocates to JB Lewis-McChord

    Air Mobility Command will save $12 million annually by moving a weapons squadron and weapons instructor course from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington beginning the summer of 2017, officials announced Nov. 18.

  • 2016 Federal Benefits Open Season runs through Dec. 12

    The Office of Personnel Management has set the dates for the 2016 Federal Benefits Open Season from Nov. 14 through Dec 12, which includes the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance program (FEDVIP) and the Federal Flexible Spending Accounts

  • Air Force promotions eliminates time-in-grade, time-in-service points

    Time-in-grade and time-in-service points in active duty enlisted promotion consideration will be eliminated beginning with the 17E7 master sergeant promotion cycle, and all future promotion cycles, the Air Force recently announced. This is the final step in a gradual reduction of points for TIG/TIS

  • Unique rehab center gets injured Airmen back on duty

    Not long after receiving innovative care for serious combat-related injuries, 2nd Lt. Marc Esposito gave his future wife a tour of the unique rehabilitation center that helped the Air Force special operator get back to jumping out of planes. The state-of-the-art setting cast with advanced technology

  • Looking to a cloud to share data faster

    The Kill Chain Integration Branch at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, has begun an experimentation campaign to look at ways to provide warfighters data in the fastest and most efficient ways possible.

  • AFRL program turns junior workforce into rapid innovators

    Junior force personnel within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate are making the most of their opportunity to showcase innovation and leadership skills through the Junior Force Warfighters Operations in RX, or JFWORX, program.

  • CSAF announces CMSAF #18

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein named Chief Master Sgt. Kaleth O. Wright to serve as the 18th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Nov. 16, 2016.

  • Joint expeditionary Airmen bridge service gaps in today’s fight

    Though he’s performing a standard Air Force job ensuring supplies make it to the front line, Tech Sgt. Ronald Gowen's deployed experience is different from many other Airmen. He is assigned specifically to support non-Air Force units. His unique skills as an Airman are in high demand by sister

  • AF unveils latest ‘Veterans in Blue’ exhibit

    The seventh volume of “Veterans in Blue” is now available online. The exhibit captures 28 stories of heroism and service by Air Force veterans. Each veteran’s portrait is also displayed at the Pentagon.

  • Innovative cyber program protects critical Tyndall AFB assets

    The 325th Communications Squadron became the first Air Combat Command squadron to join a new initiative to ensure Tyndall Air Force Base is able to train and project unrivaled combat airpower.The Cyber Squadron Innovation is a pathfinder program among Air Force communication squadrons, enabling

  • STRATCOM welcomes Hyten as new commander

    Gen. John E. Hyten took command of U.S. Strategic Command from Navy Adm. Cecil D. Haney during a change of command ceremony at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, Nov. 3.

  • Adversaries’ ever-changing tactics require quick responses

    In the ongoing fight between coalition forces and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, U.S. adversaries have added explosives-laden drones to their weapons arsenal, according to recent stories in the news. In October, adversaries used a drone, intended for surveillance use, to injure troops on

  • Expeditionary wing brings the fight to the enemy

    Since its activation in 2002, the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing has provided continuous support in the battle against violent extremism. The wing’s primary focus is delivering decisive airpower throughout the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in order to provide stability to the region, a

  • FY 2017 NCO retraining program application window now open

    The Air Force has released fiscal year 2017 retraining quotas for eligible NCOs via the NCO Retraining Program.The retraining program is a complimentary tool used to help balance and sustain the enlisted force as the Air Force continues to grow. While the Air Force is still undermanned across the

  • Carrying the load

    With enemy rounds visible within 10 feet of the ramp, the loadmasters took cover and manually cut the release gate. After the drop, the pilot conducted a rapid climb and maneuvered out of the weapon engagement zone. Although the entire encounter lasted approximately 90 seconds and resulted in a

  • RED HORSE elite team compared to real life superheroes

    A 21-member civil engineering team whose main objectives are to air insert themselves to repair battle-damaged airfields and quickly return them to service. The team is composed of electricians, structures, heavy equipment operators, vehicle maintenance and services personnel.

  • AMC commander: Airmen, partnerships, technology key to mobility’s future

    The Air Mobility Command commander showcased the impact of mobility Airmen on current global operations while highlighting ways in which partnership and technology will shape the future, in a presentation during the 48th annual AMC and Airlift/Tanker Association Symposium here, Oct. 29.In a nod to

  • BLUE: Fueling the future

    Most families have traditions that revolve around holidays and special occasions. We introduce you to a family with a tradition that's intertwined with the history and future of two tankers, the KC-135 Stratotanker and the new KC-46A Pegasus.

  • QF-4 mission nearly complete

    The QF-4 Aerial Target mission is winding down and two of the aircraft visited here Oct. 25 so that those who have supported F-4 Phantom IIs over the years could see them one last time.

  • James focused on diversity, emerging threats, space

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James joined the secretaries of the Army and Navy for a “conversation with the service secretaries” panel hosted by the Center for a New American Security here Oct. 24.

  • Air Force’s first robotic surgery training course established at Keesler

    The Keesler Medical Center recently acquired two da Vinci Xi robotic surgical systems, one for surgeries and the other for training, which is one of the newest systems out there and the first of its kind for the Air Force. Also, Keesler’s Clinical Research Laboratory has set up a training facility,

  • Weapons squadrons integrate combat skillsets

    Two B-52s from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, and two B-1 Lancers from Dyess AFB, Texas, flew together and performed more than 200 simulated missile launches as part of a weapons school integration exercise.

  • Boom operators help develop new KC-46 system

    Earlier this year in Everett, Washington, workers from Detachment 1, 418th Flight Test Squadron, and Boeing teamed up to achieve major test milestones for the KC-46A Pegasus, which resulted in the Defense Department authorizing initial production in August.

  • ‘Not disabilities but different abilities’

    October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Lt. Col. Brandon Sokora, the 100th Civil Engineer Squadron commander, shared his story during a lunch celebrating the many varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities.

  • AFRL system revolutionizes research process

    The Autonomous Research System (ARES) may not look like “Johnny Five,” the famous robot from the 1986 movie “Short Circuit,” but this robot’s ability to integrate robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and data science is altering materials research in a big way at Air Force Research Laboratory.

  • Around the Air Force: Oct. 21

    On this look around the Air Force the first Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-35 rolls out in Fort Worth, Texas, the Quest For Zero initiative aims to prevent death and injuries in the work place, and Airmen from New York set out for Operation Deep Freeze.

  • Combat to cowboy boots: Airman uses horses to spread resiliency

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series. These stories focus on individual Airmen, highlighting their Air Force story.)Growing up, she recalled running around the woods of North Carolina trying to catch a wild horse. She had fallen in love with a flea bitten, little and gray

  • TRICARE to expand preventive service coverage

    TRICARE has always had excellent coverage of important preventive services and they are making it better. TRICARE is adding preventive services to ensure alignment with recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, and the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s guidelines.

  • Air traffic controller began life as Italian Air Force pilot's daughter

    Airman 1st Class Giorgia Repici grew up hearing her father tell stories about his adventures as a C-130J pilot in the Italian Air Force. She dreamed of becoming a pilot until she was told she was one centimeter too short. So she became an air traffic controller in the U.S. Air Force instead.

  • DARPA transfers advanced space debris Telescope to AF

    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has worked with the Air Force to develop an advanced telescope that already is revolutionizing space situational awareness and helping prevent potential collisions with satellites or planet Earth.

  • Airmen provide mobility expertise in Alaska

    Over the course of 12 days in October, with temperatures dropping below freezing in the “Last Frontier,” Airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing provided rapid global mobility expertise during Red Flag-Alaska 17-1.The 621st CRW Airmen worked three different locations throughout Alaska

  • James hosts spouse, family forum

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James hosted a Spouse and Family Forum in the Smart Center Auditorium on Joint Base Andrews Oct. 19.

  • National Guard uniquely positioned to contribute in cyber realm

    The civilian-acquired skills of its members enable the National Guard to make unique contributions in the cyber realm, Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said Oct. 17. Lengyel told audience members at the North American International Cyber Summit 2016 that Guard members can be

  • Guardsmen, ski-equipped planes begin annual migration to South Pole

    Airmen and ski-equipped aircraft from the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing have started their annual journey to Antarctica. Two ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules and 23 Airmen left Stratton Air National Guard Base Oct. 18 to participate in the wing's 29th season supporting Operation Deep

  • Hanscom looks to leverage industry to improve air picture

    A program office at Hanscom Air Force Base is working to improve and upgrade a system that provides comprehensive air surveillance and defense with a recent request for information and industry days.The Battle Control Systems Fixed, or BCS-F, provides a comprehensive air picture for North America

  • US provides initial critical aid in Haiti

    Since arriving Oct. 5, U.S. service members assigned to Joint Task Force Matthew have been operating around the clock, providing aid to citizens of western Haiti.The team has been conducting 24-hour operations at the request of Haiti’s government to support the U.S. Agency for International

  • AFOSI: Play it safe with cyber security

    In this day and age, hackers and scammers are finding new ways to exploit unsuspecting victims using various illegal cyber techniques. Internet crimes like phishing, spamming, cyber terrorism, cyber bullying, online identity theft and cyber stalking have been constant concerns on the Defense

  • Exceptional Family Member Program provides support to Airmen, families

    Military families are often asked to leave their homes, schools and friends to go where they are needed. The combination of goodbyes and making moving arrangements, it can be a very stressful time.Recently, a family of three was asked to do just that. In the middle of an already complicated process

  • James named honorary Tuskegee Airman

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James was named an honorary Tuskegee Airman and was presented the Tuskegee Airman red jacket during the Air Force Memorial’s 10th anniversary ceremony in Arlington, Va., Oct. 14.

  • Around the Air Force: Oct. 14

    On this look around the Air Force the Air Force Research Laboratory has developed a new flexible lithium-ion battery, Airmen bring humanitarian aid to Hurricane Matthew victims in Haiti and the Air Force is looking to develop new anti-icing technology.

  • New test force focuses on autonomy

    The 412th Test Wing has a new organization that will explore the Air Force warfighting capabilities of tomorrow.The Emerging Technologies Combined Test Force was officially activated in early July and its mission is to provide agile, innovative flight test capabilities for emerging

  • Little Rock AFB provides humanitarian support

    Airmen from the 19th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, dedicated three C-130J Super Hercules to deliver humanitarian aid and disaster relief response for Haiti on Oct. 7 after the Category 4 hurricane tore through the island.

  • Flexible batteries: Evolving energy for the ‘new’ reality

    By using highly conductive, flexible carbon nanotube mats, scientists at the Air Force Research Laboratory have developed a new type of flexible lithium-ion battery that not only stores energy, but can be folded, bent and manipulated hundreds of times without voltage fluctuations, revolutionizing

  • AF heads to Haiti for Matthew relief

    A C-17 Globemaster III with personnel and equipment from the 621st Contingency Response Wing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, left for for Haiti Oct. 6 in response to Hurricane Matthew. The 621st CRW has units continuously on alert and ready to deploy anywhere in the world in support

  • Hurricane Matthew affecting TRICARE beneficiaries in several areas

    As Hurricane Matthew moves north, several areas where TRICARE beneficiaries live are being affected. All updates about blanket referral waivers and emergency prescription refills will be posted on TRICARE’s website.As beneficiaries are evacuated, primary care manager referral requirements may be

  • New commander takes reins of 12th AF, AFSOUTH

    The president of the United States nominated Maj. Gen. Mark D. Kelly for promotion to lieutenant general, and command of 12th Air Force and Air Forces Southern.During a change of command ceremony here Oct. 3, Kelly replaced Lt. Gen. Chris Nowland who was selected to become the next Air Force deputy

  • New office looks to shape future force

    The Air Force of the future is taking greater focus as the new Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Execution Office is actively pursuing its mission and the experimentation campaigns that it has been chartered to execute. The office will be responsible for supporting Air Force development

  • AMC consolidates with MAC

    The secretary of the Air Force announced recently that Headquarters Air Mobility Command will consolidate with Headquarters Military Airlift Command, effective Oct. 1, 2016. With this, AMC will add 51 years to its history, tracing its lineage back to May 29, 1941 and the Air Corps Ferry Command.

  • DOD announces new hire probationary period

    The probationary period for many new civilian employees hired by the Defense Department on or after Nov. 26, 2015, has changed from one year to two years, the acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for civilian personnel policy said.

  • AF releases 2016 promotion statistics by AFSC

    Air Force officials have released the 2016 staff sergeant, technical sergeant and master sergeant promotion statistics, broken down by Air Force specialty code and promotion recommendation.

  • Carter: Nuclear triad needs investment for future

    All three legs of the nuclear triad operate with a high degree of readiness, reliability and excellence, but the aging systems need more investment for the future, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Sept. 27 at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

  • Competitive career opportunities exist via officer crossflow program

    One of today’s opportunities for officers to broaden career options comes from the nonrated line officer crossflow program, which currently has openings for officers on active duty in certain career fields to volunteer for retraining into undermanned career fields.

  • Performance wing team researches human-machine trust

    A research team in the 711th Human Performance Wing’s Airman Systems Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, focuses on how humans make reliance decisions with technology or, in other words, how humans develop, maintain and lose trust.

  • 4-star returns to 1st assignment for WiSE keynote address

    The Air Force’s third-ever female four-star general returned to her first assignment to deliver keynote remarks at the Air Force Technical Applications Center’s (AFTAC) Women in Science and Engineering Symposium (WiSE) Sept. 7.Gen. Ellen M. Pawlikowski, commander of Air Force Materiel Command,

  • Carlisle: F-35A is fusion warfare key component

    During a panel session at the Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Sept. 20, F-35A Lightning II senior leadership discussed the future of the multi-role aircraft.

  • Reserve commander discusses shaping the force for the future

    Lt. Gen. Maryanne Miller, the Air Force Reserve Command commander and chief of the Air Force Reserve, said the legacy of citizen Airmen of the past helped strengthen and shape the dynamic force that serves and defends the nation today during a session at the Air Force Association Air, Space and

  • B-21: Modernizing the bomber fleet

    Following the Air Force secretary’s announcement that the new long-range strike bomber would be called the B-21 Raider, Gen. Robin Rand, the Air Force Global Strike Command commander, said during a session at the Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference Sept. 19 the name brought the

  • Meston 2, Cancer 0

    In the summer of 2014 Staff Sgt. Ryan Meston, space system operator with the 4th Space Control Squadron at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, went through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation for testicular cancer. He was in remission and things were looking good.During a follow up visit in early

  • Getting to know the 12 OAY

    In August, Air Force officials selected the service's top enlisted members, naming the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2016.

  • 20th Air Force Marathon a huge success

    After a 30-minute weather delay, over 15,000 runners, walkers and spectators from all 50 states and many foreign countries gathered Sept. 17 to take part in the 20th annual U.S. Air Force Marathon at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohioj.

  • New faces of the Air Force

    As the Air Force turns a year older Sept. 18, some of the newest members of the service were asked earlier this month on their basic training graduation day why they decided to be part of the world’s greatest airpower team. Here’s what they had to say.