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U.S. Air Force News

  • Planning a larger role for 3-D printing

    The Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex is finalizing a strategic plan to integrate 3-D printing technology into nearly every aspect of its airpower sustainment mission.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • AF missile officers get their ‘sea legs’

    Through the Striker Trident nuclear officer exchange program, four hand-selected intercontinental ballistic missile officers assigned to various Air Force Global Strike Command units are broadening their horizons by serving multi-year tours with U.S. Navy Submarine Forces ballistic missile submarine

  • WWII flying ace encounters new generation of aircraft

    Seventy five years ago, a 20-year-old Tom "Ginger" Neil flew a Hawker Hurricane for the Royal Air Force, shielding his homeland against thousands of German bombers in the Battle of Britain -- the first ever battle decisively fought in the air. This month marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the

  • James named new principal DOD space advisor

    On Oct. 5, Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work re-designated the position of the Department of Defense executive agent for space to the principal DOD space advisor.

  • 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.

  • 377th ABW transfers to AF Global Strike Command

    The 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, became part of 20th Air Force Oct. 1, as it shifts from Air Force Materiel Command to Air Force Global Strike Command.

  • New Autism Care Demonstration updates

    In an effort to continually improve benefits, the Comprehensive Autism Care Demonstration (ACD) was recently updated to reduce the potential financial burden of applied behavior analysis (ABA) services for non-active-duty families.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • GPS III launch services proposal request released

    The Air Force released a final request for proposal on Global Positioning System III launch services Sept. 30 to cover launch vehicle production, mission integration and launch operations for the satellite mission set to start in 2018. Proposals are due back to the Air Force by Nov. 16 in accordance

  • 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 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • BLUE: A new horizon

    Pulling a team together to work toward a common goal is one of the things at which the Air Force excels. In this edition of BLUE, members of one team participating in New Horizons work toward building stronger relations with the people of Honduras, and learn some things about themselves along the

  • Air traffic controllers bring order to England skies

    Air traffic controllers with the 100th Operations Support Squadron sit high above the flightline at all times, acting as the eyes and ears on the ground for those in the skies above. Those on the night shift don't have the advantage of daylight that others working the day shift may take for granted.

  • Rescuer reunites with ‘Katrina Girl’

    Ten years ago, then-Staff Sgt. Mike Maroney, a helicopter pararescue specialist, was on day seven of a Hurricane Katrina recovery mission when he saw a family on the roof of their home flagging for help. Strapped in and ready to go, he was lowered from his rescue helicopter to the rooftop. What he

  • Global Hawk maintainers deliver ISR capability to warfighters

    The maintainers, assigned to the 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, are responsible for maintaining and ensuring the RQ-4 Global Hawk is able to deliver round-the-clock intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and communication support to ground forces and aerial platforms

  • From Army Air Corps to US Air Force, 70-plus years later

    In 1944, a year before the end of World War II, a 17-year-old Cambridge, Massachusetts, native and recent high school graduate was hired as a clerk-typist by the government to support the war effort -- only after her father signed a letter of permission. Now 71 years later, Maria Bandouveres, the

  • Building Afghan air force command, control hub from ground-up

    Imagine an orchestra without a conductor. The tempo would be off, the performers with their instruments would not be on the same sheet of music, and the melody would be unpleasant to the ear. Now imagine an Air Force base without a wing operations center, the command and control center for emergency

  • Time with MAJCOM commanders at the four-star forum

    Members of the Air Force, Air Force Association and defense industry were invited to a Q-and-A session with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James M. Cody and several major command commanders during a four-star forum at the AFA Air and Space

  • AF leadership talks total force

    Members of senior leadership from the active-duty Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, as well as the principal deputy to the secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs, convened for a discussion panel regarding the status of the total force at the Air Force

  • AF family: Like mother, like daughter

    When Senior Airman Kara Watts was a college student and searching for inspiration, she said she only had to look as far as her mother's military service.

  • AFGSC completes first New START bomber conversion

    Air Force Global Strike Command has begun the conversion of a portion of the B-52H bomber fleet from a nuclear to a conventional only capability aircraft under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).

  • Chief chats about volunteerism, promotions, millennial Airmen

    As the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition 2015 in Washington D.C., draws to a close, the Air Force’s top enlisted leader held a candid Q-and-A session to address issues of interest to the enlisted force Sept. 16.

  • More than a hero: An American Airman

    The Airman’s Creed is recited from the very beginning of an Airman’s career. For one Airman, that creed became more than words – it became a part of who he is.

  • Air Force Materiel Command: Aerospace revolutionaries

    Gen. Ellen M. Pawlikowski, the Air Force Materiel Command commander, showcased AFMC’s revolutionary capabilities in her address at the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 15.

  • Carter: DOD must embrace future to remain best force

    Two days before the Air Force’s 68th birthday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Sept. 16, at the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition 2015, that the military must embrace the future to remain the best force.The defense secretary said the gathering’s theme,

  • Meeting global air requirements in a time of austerity

    In a conference room filled with international air forces, three Airmen led a discussion on solutions to meeting global air needs in a time of austerity during the Air Force Association Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition, Sept. 15.

  • Changes coming to TRICARE pharmacy benefit

    Starting Oct. 1, a new law requires all TRICARE beneficiaries, except active duty service members, to get select brand name maintenance drugs through either TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery or from a military pharmacy. Beneficiaries who keep using a retail pharmacy for these drugs will have to pay the

  • Air Force members receive 2014 International Affairs Excellence Award

    Air Force members accepted the 2014 International Affairs Excellence Award during the Air Force Association’s 2015 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 14. This was the first year the award was split into four categories: officer, enlisted, senior civilian and junior civilian.

  • SecAF explores history, future of aerospace nation at AFA

    In her remarks at the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 14, the Air Force’s top civilian said the service will need to reduce bureaucracy, enhance innovation and invest in its people to successfully expand, advance and reinvent the aerospace nation.

  • Remembering that day in September

    An expanse of dark blue water rushed beneath the Boeing 767 window. A woman’s voice trembled through the static of the Airfone in her hands.

  • Pacific Angel 15-2 underway in Timor-Leste

    Members of the U.S. Air Force and Navy, Defence Forces of Timor-Leste, and New Zealand army began humanitarian assistance operations as part of Pacific Angel 15-2 Sept. 7, in Baucau, Timor Leste.

  • Defense secretary visits Nellis

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited the Nellis Air Force Base Aug. 26 to observe Red Flag 15-4 operations and speak to Airmen and coalition partners about the future of the force and innovation.

  • Ramstein Airmen help renovate Georgian school

    For the past month, the hallways of Gori Public School No. 4 were alive with the sounds of construction workers sanding, sawing, tearing down, building up and transforming what looked like a century-old building. The transformation continued till just hours before the Aug. 31 culminating ceremony,

  • Aircraft communications maintainers make RPA missions possible

    In a world where cockpits aren't in the plane, these traditional communications Airmen are put in a maintenance environment to link the ground control station, also known as the RPA cockpit, to the aircraft. This capability allows the pilot and sensor operator to control the plane, both locally and

  • First operational F-35As arrive at Hill AFB

    The Air Force ushered in a new era of combat air power today as Hill Air Force Base received the service's first two operational F-35As.Hill's active duty 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing will be the first combat-coded units to fly and maintain the Air Force's newest

  • New ACC program begins, aimed to improve MQ-1/9 community

    The initial stage of Air Combat Command's new program, the Culture and Process Improvement Program, began Aug. 21 at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, and is designed to take place across 12 Air Force active-duty, Reserve and Guard bases.The CPIP was established to target and develop methods of improvement

  • New AF streamers approved for Global War on Terrorism Operations

    The secretary of the Air Force has authorized the use of war service streamers and the new Global War on Terrorism Service (GWOT-S) streamer. In addition, the Air Force credited 1,442 units with campaign participation, making them eligible for a campaign streamer.

  • September issue of Airman magazine now available

    In this issue of Airman magazine, we remember those who were impacted by Hurricane Katrina when the storm hit land 10 years ago. The Airmen of Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, faced numerous challenges, from rampant debris to water damage, and came together to aid in the repair of their base and

  • SERE: Man is the environmental impact

    With detailed site surveys and permits for 43 geographically separated pieces of land over a four-state area, Todd Foster, the 336th Training Group training area manager, knows the environmental impact of the U.S. Air Force Survival School and the resources consumed to meet the training requirements

  • Airman author brings fictional, real heroes to life

    In stories, the hero is often called upon to accomplish a great task, to take on the weight of a burden they did not anticipate, even though they know that hardships may plague every step of their journey. For storytellers, joy often comes from seeing the hero overcome the many obstacles placed in

  • SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF present new "little blue book"

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody delivered the initial handout of the pamphlet, “America’s Air Force: A Profession of Arms,” Aug. 27 to the Air Force’s newest Airmen at Airmen’s Week.

  • New commander expresses confidence in TRANSCOM

    Upon assuming command of U.S. Transportation Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Aug. 26, Gen. Darren W. McDew expressed faith in TRANSCOM’s ability to sustain rapid, global response for the Defense Department in the air, at sea and on land.

  • Integration lab to support C-5 software, hardware upgrades

    The C-5 System Integration Lab at Robins Air Force Base has been preparing to accommodate upcoming changes to the weapon system's color weather radar capabilities for the last several months.Full-scale development is now underway by Lockheed Martin to update to a new version of the color weather

  • Airmen experience multinational Red Flag-Alaska

    A 16-foot wooden table stretches between aircrew lockers and cabinets. A red toolbox sits at one end of the table. Helmets, oxygen masks and parachutes are within sight. The room is temporarily housing members with 374th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment for the duration of Red

  • AF names 2015 NAACP Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award winners

    Senior Master Sgt. Hamp Lee III, assigned to the 316th Training Squadron at Goodfellow Air Force Base, Texas, and Carolyn Peeler, assigned to the 49th Force Support Squadron at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, have been selected as the 2015 NAACP Roy Wilkins Renown Service Award winners.

  • AF adopts new dragon

    Lt. Gen. Bill Bender, the Air Force chief information officer, and Maj. Gen. Martin Whelan, the Air Force director of future operations, have partnered to increase awareness of the importance of operations security and cybersecurity to protect the Air Force mission, personnel and their families.

  • 45 years on alert: Minot conducts Minuteman III test launch

    The 91st Missile Wing completed an operational test launch of an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, Aug. 19, continuing its mission of providing strategic deterrence for the U.S. and their allies. The launch fell on the 45th

  • Whiteman B-2s, Airmen maintain readiness in Guam

    About 225 Airmen and three B-2 Spirits from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam, Aug. 7 to conduct familiarization training activities in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

  • RED HORSE: A legacy of leaving it better than how they found it

    RED HORSE is a self-sustaining, mobile, heavy construction squadron capable of rapid response and independent operations in remote, high-threat environments worldwide. They were activated in 1966 as the Air Force’s combat construction team. Today, the 557th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron carries

  • Motivated by education, opportunity: Airman finds second home with AF

    Many words are used to describe the United States; some call it the land of plenty, freedom or equality, but at least one Airman regards it as the land of opportunity.Airman 1st Class Bin Ma, a 20th Comptroller Squadron financial services technician, departed Wuhan, China, in 2008 to start his

  • Meet the Airmen of Wake Island

    About 1,500 miles east of Guam, in the middle of nowhere in the Mid-Pacific, lies the small coral limestone atoll of Wake Island. Ahead of Guam by about two hours, a select group of four Airmen here are the first Americans to turn the calendar page every day.

  • RPAs prove vital in fight against ISIL

    From August 2014 to August 2015, the 432nd Wing has directly supported Operation Inherent Resolve, a U.S. Central Command and partner nation's campaign to conduct targeted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the

  • 25 years on the hunt

    The 55th Wing's personnel and its RC-135V/W Rivet Joint hit 25 years of continuous deployment to U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility Aug. 9. What started out as a single-ship response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990, has now turned into what is believed to be the longest

  • SecAF gains perspective of Beale's ISR mission

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited Beale Air Force Base to get an up-close view of the high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission Aug. 10-12.

  • AMC welcomes new commander

    Air Mobility Command changed leaders Aug. 11, as Gen. Carlton D. Everhart II assumed command from Gen. Darren W. McDew during a 10 a.m. ceremony at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

  • Flying high: Strike Eagle pilot reaches elite milestone

    For F-15E Strike Eagle aircrew at the 4th Fighter Wing, flying through the skies is a part of their lifestyle. However, for Lt. Col. Paul Hibbard, a 333rd Fighter Squadron instructor pilot, the clouds are almost like a second home.

  • Airmen enable Marines in Iraq

    Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen work around the clock to sustain and improve the Task Force Al Taqaddum advise and assist site at Al Taqaddum, Iraq. Each service and section plays an important role in ensuring the success of this mission, part of Operation Inherent Resolve.

  • AF welcomes new vice chief of staff

    The Air Force welcomed an Airman to the rank of four-star general and announced the appointment of the new Air Force vice chief of staff during a ceremony at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., Aug. 6.

  • SARCs hone skills at annual refresher course

    The Air Force Sexual Assault Prevention and Response office recently concluded a five-day annual refresher course for nearly 130 Air Force sexual assault response coordinators at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, Virginia, Aug. 3-7.

  • Can’t spell test without TES

    More than 60 Air Mobility Command Test and Evaluation Squadron Airmen and civilians -- many of whom are former pilots and maintainers -- use their aircrew backgrounds to update and advance aircraft components in safe and innovative ways.

  • Air Force upgrades 100-year-old technology

    The implementation of a new simulator, the GYRO Integrated Physiological Trainer II, into Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, will allows students to receive spatial disorientation training in a realistic platform before ever entering a real aircraft.

  • CSAF listens to Airmen, discusses nuclear enterprise mission

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A Welsh III visited three Air Force Global Strike Command bases to listen to Airmen of all ranks who support the Global Strike mission on a daily basis, while addressing the importance of the nuclear enterprise and its future.

  • Maintainers extend life of T-38 Talon

    The Air Force's trusted trainer, the T-38 Talon, has a new lease on life thanks to a robust structural-modification program. Technicians in the Ogden Air Logistics Complex's 575th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, recently completed the first aircraft in the