HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • New AF development planning effort key to third offset

    To help the Air Force define and develop future capabilities, Air Force Materiel Command is standing up a multi-disciplinary Air Force team at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

  • Randolph remembers Doolittle Raid’s impact on WWII

    The Doolittle Raiders were honored at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, April 18 during a ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of their Tokyo raid during World War II. Retired Lt. Col. Dick Cole, a co-pilot in Doolittle’s bomber and one of two surviving Raiders, was in attendance and recalled

  • VCSAF, spouse take in Ramstein mission sets

    The Air Force's vice chief of staff and his spouse visited Ramstein Air Base on April 18 to meet with Airmen and familiarize themselves with the mission sets of Ramstein’s three different wings.

  • PACAF Airmen stand up air contingent in Philippines

    Airmen assigned to the Pacific Air Forces stood up the first rotation of an air contingent at Clark Air Base, Philippines, April 16, following a joint announcement by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin in Manila that highlighted several initiatives aimed

  • Carter discusses ISIL, Iran with Airmen in United Arab Emirates

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter discussed the “two I’s” – ISIL and Iran -- with U.S. Airmen at Al-Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates April 16. Defeating the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is the highest priority for American forces in the region, the secretary told the Airmen.

  • Mobility Airmen support Canadian exercise in High Arctic

    Fifty Airmen from the New York Air National Guard's 109th Airlift Wing and two ski-equipped LC-130 Hercules are in the High Arctic supporting the Canadian Armed Forces’ annual Operation Nunalivut exercise in Canada's Nunavut territory.

  • Phoenix Ravens protect mobility mission

    A select group of Airmen are tasked with providing close-in security for mobility air forces aircraft transiting airfields where security is unknown or additional security is needed to counter local threats. They are known as Phoenix Ravens.

  • DCMO leading continuous process improvement

    The Air Force Deputy Chief Management Officer is leading continuous process improvement by finding innovative ways to maximize Air Force resources and increase efficiency in areas concerning people, money and time.

  • US, Dominican Republic strengthen partnerships while building hospitals

    Through a joint training exercise, civil engineers with the 820th RED HORSE Squadron from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, have been working together with their Dominican partners throughout April to build four clinics and a vocational school in the Maria Trinidad Sanchez Province.

  • AMC relocates KC-135 simulator

    Air Mobility Command will relocate a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot simulator from McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, to Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio, in an effort to maximize simulator utilization across the mobility enterprise.

  • Powerlifting duo competes, wins big

    Co-workers occasionally find common interests between them. For two Airmen at Scott Air Force Base that turned into powerlifting competitions.

  • Online registration for 2016 DOD Warrior Games now open

    Online registration is now open to participate in the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games at cvent.com. Volunteers, media and distinguished visitors -- as well as selected athletes, family members, non-medical attendants, staff and coaches -- must register online to participate.

  • Hyten announces Space Enterprise Vision

    Gen. John Hyten, the commander of Air Force Space Command, announced the command's Space Enterprise Vision April 12 at Peterson Air Force Base. The SEV is the result of an AFSPC-commissioned study that looked at how to make the nation's national security space enterprise more resilient.

  • James visits Airmen supporting Honduras mission

    The men and women of Joint Task Force-Bravo hosted Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James April 8 at Soto Cano Air Base, as she wrapped up her visit to various units in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility.

  • AF New Parent Support Program helps families care for infants, toddlers

    The Air Force New Parent Support Program provides information, support and guidance to parents as they care for their newborns, infants and toddlers. The program helps military families learn about the growth and development of infants and toddlers, to prepare for the changes that come as a baby is

  • Mixed martial Airman

    Senior Airman Jeremiah Garber, an analyst with the 355th Maintenance Group, intends to take his mixed martial arts game to the next level with intense training in Arizona.

  • Get your purple on to recognize military children

    April 15 is Purple Up! day, a time for Americans to show their support for military families. Department of Defense Education Activity schools will celebrate the event April 20 because of spring recess.

  • Air Force approves RPA initiatives

    The Air Force recently approved two initiatives for the remotely piloted aircraft career field. First, eight RPA reconnaissance squadrons will be redesignated as attack squadrons. Second, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III authorized RPA aircrews to log combat time when flying an

  • Rice nominated to become next Air National Guard director

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced April 5 that President Barack Obama has nominated Maj. Gen. L. Scott Rice for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as director of the Air National Guard.

  • Cody engages with deployed Airmen

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody engaged with Airmen deployed to Afghanistan in support of the NATO Resolute Support mission and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel from April 4-6 through a series of Q&A format all calls, small group discussions and personal site visits.

  • AF introduces Air Superiority 2030 study

    The Air Force introduced the results of a yearlong study focused on developing capability options to ensure joint force air superiority in 2030 and beyond during an Air Force Association breakfast April 7 in Arlington, Virginia.

  • Contests spotlight creativity

    Budding photographers and artists can enter the 2016 Photo and Art Contest, sponsored by the Air Force Services Activity.

  • Flares keep birds in the sky

    They are hot, bright and a visual spectacle. But they are not your run-of-the-mill fireworks being shot off in celebration. Flares used by pilots are life-saving emergency countermeasures that keep Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, aircraft in the skies delivering airlift cargo to the warfighter.

  • Passion vs. priorities

    Physical fitness doesn’t come easy for everyone -- sometimes the drive to finish one more repetition or set a new personal best just doesn’t cut it. For 1st Lt. Christian Torres, having the spirit to stay mentally and physically strong when going through adversity is not just found in the gym, it’s

  • Eielson selected to receive operational F-35A aircraft

    Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, was selected as the new home for the Air Force’s first operational overseas F-35A Lightning IIs. Air Force officials chose Eielson AFB after a lengthy analysis of the location’s operational considerations, installation attributes, environmental factors and cost.

  • C-17 drag reduction testing aims at saving fuel

    From testing synthetic biofuels to "vortex surfing," Edwards Air Force Base, California, is on the forefront of finding new ways to cut fuel costs for the Air Force. The latest venture is currently underway at the 418th Flight Test Squadron where a test team of Air Force and Boeing personnel

  • Deployed together: A tale of twin brothers

    Twin brothers often share similar experiences from birth to high school graduation. But only a few can claim to serve in a deployed unit at the same time. Senior Airman Emmanuel Taveras, an electrical and environmental journeyman, and his twin brother, Senior Airman Carlos Taveras, an aircraft

  • Staff sergeant LEAPs on opportunity to use native tongue

    Born and raised in Nizhnekamsk, Russia, Anastasia Stuart traveled to the U.S. as a young adult with the intention of only staying a year to improve her English. One year quickly turned into two, and before she knew it, she enlisted into the U.S. Air Force.

  • Wartime medical innovation saves lives at home

    In January, the Food and Drug Administration approved the REBOA catheter, or resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta. The REBOA is a device that’s inserted into a hemorrhaging vessel and stops or slows blood flow to that injury, while allowing blood flow to continue to other body

  • Hanscom SFS captures best in AF again

    For the second year in a row, and the third time in four years, members of the 66th Security Forces Squadron at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, are celebrating their selection as the Air Force Outstanding Small Size Security Forces Unit award.

  • Airman attributes life changes to wrestling

    After moving from project housing to a higher income city when he was 9 years old, Morris Thomas, now a 50th Space Wing Safety Office staff sergeant, started a new school and was thrown into a world of discrimination and prejudice.

  • AFSVA on trend with mystery escape rooms

    Interactive, immersive escape rooms, such as Moriarty’s Parlor, are gaining popularity worldwide as entertainment and team-building experiences. The Air Force Services Activity is offering a choice of six room scenarios to 20 Air Force installations enterprise-wide as part of its Recharge for

  • Evolution of GPS: From Desert Storm to today's users

    In a desert, it's easy to get lost. There are no roads, no signposts, nor vegetation to give locational clues. That was the grim situation facing U.S. and coalition forces during the 1990-1991 crisis in the Persian Gulf, known as Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

  • Malmstrom mechanics testing new bio-based vehicle oil

    Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana is one of four bases across the service chosen to test out a new bio-based synthetic oil in its vehicles. The experiment, being carried out by the 341st Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle management flight, is headed by the Defense Logistics Agency and the 441st

  • New Reserve unit to open doors at Keesler

    The 403rd Wing is going through a period of growth with the activation of an additional aircraft maintenance squadron solely focused on keeping the 815th Airlift Squadron's 10 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft healthy and in the air.

  • Chasing opportunity to fulfill a dream

    All children have dreams and it was no different for Lt. Col. Brett Chung growing up in Nagoya, Japan. Coming to the United States was something Chung thought about on a regular basis. Now many years later, he has not only fulfilled his youthful dream of coming to America he has seized opportunity,

  • US, Turkish KC-135 units fly together for first time

    To better understand how each nation completes the vital air refueling mission, the U.S. Air Force and Turkish air force flew KC-135 Stratotankers together in formation for the first time March 8 over the Nevada Test and Training Range, northeast of Nellis Air Force Base.

  • Robinson tapped to be first female combatant commander

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter has named a new commander for U.S. Northern Command to be confirmed by the Senate. If confirmed, the new Northern Command chief will be the first woman to lead a U.S. combatant command.

  • Cope Tiger 2016 enhances capabilities through teamwork

    Readiness and continued development of multilateral interoperability remains a key priority for Indo-Asia-Pacific partners participating in the 22nd year of exercise Cope Tiger, a joint multilateral field training exercise that began March 7 at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base. During the two-week

  • ACC commander addresses RPA health to Senate Armed Services Committee

    Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the commander of Air Combat Command, addressed plans to improve the health of the Air Force remotely piloted aircraft enterprise March 16 during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the hearing was to

  • Inspired NCO spends career molding Airmen

    After troubles in high school, Joshua Smith found discipline in the Air Force and now teaches others as an Airman leadership school instructor at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas.

  • AFMC strategic plan to help carry Air Force to third offset

    Agility and innovation are cornerstones of a new Air Force Materiel Command strategic plan that will deliver war-winning capabilities. Those capabilities will propel the Air Force as a key element of the future national defense strategy known as the third offset.

  • Louisiana guardsmen rescue thousands in floods

    Louisiana National Guardsmen have rescued more than 4,000 people in the floods that have inundated the state over the past week, a state Guard spokesman said. About 1,200 Louisiana Army and Air National Guard members have been mobilized and are working with local partners to support the mission

  • Air Force continues to pursue total force integration

    The Air Force continues to make strides toward total force integration, according to an annual report submitted to Congress March 4. The report is based on recommendations from the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force and focuses on how the force structure should be modified to best

  • DOD-wide Windows 10 rapid deployment to boost cybersecurity

    The Defense Department will deploy Windows 10 departmentwide by January to strengthen cybersecurity and streamline the information technology operating environment, according to a Feb. 26 memo by Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work.

  • Resilience pays off on road to Air Force

    From being a young boy who could not speak a word of English to an Airman who instructs others on the effects altitude has on the human body, Senior Airman Jae Yu, of the 21st Aerospace Medicine Squadron, practiced resilience far before he ever joined the Air Force.

  • F-35 to touch down at air shows around the world

    Aviation and F-35A Lightning II fanatics have something special to look forward to this 2016 air show season. The Lightning II qualified March 6 at the Heritage Flight Conference at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, to take part in the Air Combat Command Air Force Heritage Flight program.

  • Combat camera Airmen hone battlefield capabilities through Scorpion Lens

    More than 100 photo and broadcast journalists from the 1st Combat Camera Squadron at Joint Base Charleston and the 3rd Combat Camera Squadron from Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, are participating in Scorpion Lens 2016, an ability to survive and operate exercise at McCrady Training Center on Fort

  • Providing critical support to the AOR

    A team of nearly 40 Airmen at Al Udeid Air Base loads and off-loads thousands of pounds of cargo into aircraft almost daily. The Airmen assigned to the 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron’s Ramp Services section are responsible for loading and unloading a wide variety of cargo including

  • Airmen look ahead after historic GPS satellite mission

    Capt. Trung Nguyen was born the year the first of the latest series of GPS satellites was blasted into space. Twenty seven years later, the Airman helped process the final GPS IIF satellite, worth about $131 million, before it was launched on an Atlas V rocket in early February.

  • Chaplain survives aftermath of son’s suicide; spreads awareness

    While enjoying a drive through the rolling Tennessee countryside with his wife, the shrill ring of his cell phone pierced through the tranquility of the moment. Maj. William D. Logan's daughter, Blair, managed to utter, "Zac has done something really bad."

  • Becoming a boom

    From an early age, Airman 1st Class Shelby Bowling, a 350th Air Refueling Squadron boom operator, had an idea of what she wanted to do when she grew up. It wasn't until midway through her time in college that life provided her an opportunity to take a chance.

  • Keeping the C-17 in the fight

    The 8th Expeditionary Air Mobility Squadron maintenance team at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, helps keep the base’s C-17 Globemaster III fleet mission ready by performing regular maintenance on each aircraft. The unit provides the only tier two C-17 maintenance capability in the U.S. Central Command

  • High voltage Airmen keep power going at Eielson

    Driving through the mountains in the beautiful, sunshine of summer; braving the harsh, cold winters; and ensuring the light-filled airfield is always lit is something Senior Airman Travis Bothast and Airman 1st Class Anthony Cooper know all too well as electrical systems Airmen.

  • State of AF: Modernizing for next offset strategy

    Budget plans are poised to keep the Air Force atop of its game, with a new bomber and advanced technology to help Airmen execute a future offset strategy, the head of the service announced at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium Feb. 26.

  • Air Force reveals B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James revealed the first rendering of the Long Range Strike Bomber, designated the B-21, at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium Feb. 26 in Orlando, Fla., and announced the Air Force will be taking suggestions from Airmen to help decide the name of the

  • AF discusses game-changing technologies during defense innovation hearing

    The Air Force’s pursuit of game-changing technologies and the need to attract and retain talented science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professionals were at the center of discussions during a hearing on defense innovation before the House Armed Services Committee’s subcommittee on

  • Welsh presents AF update at AFA

    Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III outlined Air Force operations from 2015, the service’s plan for 2016, and what is to come in the future at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium Feb. 25.

  • Kadena launches Pacific region's first MC-130J five-ship formation flight

    Instead of the usual howl of jet engines, members of Kadena Air Base heard the growl of 120 turboprop blades chopping the air as the 17th Special Operations Squadron’s MC-130J Commando IIs dominated the airfield scene Feb. 17. Within an hour of standing by at stations, the aircraft took to the skies

  • Disbrow confirmed as under secretary of the Air Force

    The U.S. Senate recently confirmed Lisa S. Disbrow as the new under secretary of the Air Force to ensure efficient and effective management of Air Force resources. In this position, Disbrow oversees the Air Force’s annual budget of more than $120 billion and serves as the co-chair of the top Air

  • Pacific partners practice humanitarian assistance during Cope North

    Military members from six nations joined together for a humanitarian assistance and disaster relief deployment throughout the region of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Feb. 14-18. The deployment is part of Cope North 16, a multilateral exercise, including the U.S. Air Force and air

  • Painting squadron pride

    When it comes to taking care of the F-16 Fighting Falcons at Holloman Air Force Base, aircraft structural maintenance technicians have a major responsibility. As corrosion experts, they strip and re-paint F-16 tails -- replacing Luke AFB's "LF" with Holloman's "HO."

  • New co-chairman joins Air Force’s retiree council

    A new co-chairman will share the head of the table at this year's Air Force Retiree Council meeting in May. Retired Lt. Gen. Stephen Hoog, who left active duty in October, succeeds retired Lt. Gen. Steven Polk as council co-chair with retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Rodney McKinley.

  • It’s a bird, it’s a plane … it’s a drone

    Due to popularity and past holiday sales, the amount of drones has soared. The Federal Aviation Administration estimated more than one million drones were sold during the year-end holiday season. With that many new drones added to existing numbers, federal, state and local officials are concerned

  • GAO denies protest, Air Force proceeds with LRS-B

    The Government Accountability Office denied The Boeing Company’s protest of the Long Range Strike Bomber contract award following a comprehensive review of the source selection process. The Air Force was confident that the source selection team followed a deliberate, disciplined and impartial

  • Air Force continues to improve care in the air

    The Air Mobility Command Surgeon General’s office and researchers across the Air Force, to include the 711th Human Resource Wing at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, have been working together to improve how the Air Force provides care in the air. The AMC/SG is responsible for clinical

  • Out of the shadows: ACMS Airmen provide missing link

    Preparing to support remotely piloted aircraft operations is no easy task. Still, Airmen assigned to the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing recently spent time showing leadership exactly what it takes to provide RPA intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support at any time.

  • New leadership for AF Acquisitions, Logistics

    Today, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James announced that Darlene Costello, a senior acquisition official in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L), is assuming the duties of the principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for

  • AF rolls out FY 2017 space budget

    Air Force leaders met with the media to discuss specifics of the service’s fiscal year 2017 space budget at the Pentagon Feb. 11.

  • AF remembers pioneer of DOD transportation

    Retired Gen. Duane F. Cassidy, the first "dual-hatted" commander of both U.S. Transportation Command and Military Airlift Command, passed away Feb. 8 at the age of 82.

  • SecAF, CSAF testify on FY 2017 AF posture

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the fiscal year 2017 Air Force posture on Capitol Hill Feb. 10.

  • AF announces stand up of Integrated Wing

    The Air Force will stand up an Integrated Wing pilot program at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, according to Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James.

  • New runway opens, enhances readiness

    The Army Corps of Engineers, 51st Civil Engineer and 51st Operations Support Squadron completed a five-year project of constructing a new runway for Osan Air Base, South Korea, and began flying operations in January.

  • AF implements new DOD-wide changes to maternity leave

    Beginning Feb. 2, active-duty female Airmen will receive up to 12 continuous, non-transferable weeks of fully paid maternity leave in accordance with Defense Department-wide changes to the policy outlined in Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s Force of the Future announcement Jan. 28.

  • Arabian Gulf Shield improves interoperability

    Training concluded Feb. 3 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, with a scenario designed to test Gulf Cooperation Council Liaison Officer (GCC LNO) procedures and connectivity to host nation air operations centers.

  • CCAF breaks record for 6th consecutive year

    The Community College of the Air Force awarded 23,206 associate of applied science degrees in 2015, breaking the record for number of graduates for the sixth consecutive year.

  • Biking brings hope to wounded, recovering veterans

    Members from Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, volunteered as part of the Ride 2 Recovery (R2R) program and brought more than 20 wounded and recovering veterans together for the Vegas Challenge Feb. 1-3 in Blue Diamond, Nevada.

  • From World War II to Afghanistan: USO marks 75th anniversary

    The USO marked its 75th anniversary Feb. 4 at a gala in Washington, D.C. Medal of Honor recipients, USO volunteers, active-duty personnel, veterans, members of Congress, and stars of stage, screen and music gathered to mark a milestone for an organization founded as the United States geared up for