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U.S. Air Force News

  • 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.

  • AF names candidate bases, criteria for choosing next F-35A sites

    Air Force officials announced April 12 that Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Homestead Air Reserve Base, Florida; Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas; and Whiteman AFB, Missouri, are candidate bases for the first Reserve-led F-35A Lightning II location.

  • 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.

  • AF talks diversity of opportunities at annual engineers conference

    What do measuring earthquakes, creating lightning and applying space-like pressure to marshmallows all have in common? They each were demonstrations of science and technology used to intrigue the next generation of engineers on the Air Force’s capabilities and opportunities during the National

  • Gorenc discusses European Reassurance Initiative, air police mission

    The commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa said April 5 that the increase in European Reassurance Initiative funds next year will allow his command to improve its presence and facilities on the eastern side of NATO and to deter Russia. Gen. Frank Gorenc also told the Defense

  • B-52 conducts long-range training with Colombian forces

    A B-52 Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, conducted a long-range training sortie to engage with South American military partners April 1-2. During the course of the 27-hour, nonstop mission, the aircrew trained with the Colombian air force before executing a flyover of the

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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,

  • AFSVA gets ready for 2016 youth camps

    Teenagers looking to cure those summertime blues will have various camps to choose from this year, thanks to central funding from the Air Force Services Activity, also known as AFSVA.

  • AF space leader attends AFA breakfast

    The Air Force deputy undersecretary for space spoke on the importance of safeguarding the space enterprise during an Air Force Association breakfast on March 17 at the Sheraton Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

  • Around the Air Force: March 18

    This look around the Air Force features the Solid State Phased Array Radar System, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James discusses offset strategies, and exercise Cope Tiger.

  • Air Force leaders present FY 2017 budget request

    The military services’ secretaries and chiefs presented their respective branch’s fiscal year 2017 budget plan March 16 on Capitol Hill.Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III testified on the Air Force’s fiscal 2017 national defense authorization

  • Goldfein addresses readiness, budget

    Military vice chiefs testified about the current state of readiness of U.S. forces before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support on Capitol Hill March 15.

  • Sentinel of space found in Alaskan wilderness

    Among the bears, moose, wolves and wolverines of Alaska's interior is a silent sentinel of space -- Clear Air Force Station. Its personnel keep an eye on things above for the sake of tactical warning of ballistic missile attacks against the U.S. and Canada and space situational awareness.

  • 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.

  • Goldfein: Optimistic about future of airpower

    Equals part challenge and opportunity -- that’s how Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein described as the current state of the Air Force March 10 during a Defense Programs Conference in Washington, D.C.

  • Lessons learned from Operation Desert Storm

    Twenty five years ago, the world watched a display of military force in the Persian Gulf. America’s adversaries have spent each year since pursuing capabilities both to counter U.S. strengths and to exploit perceived weaknesses. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein participated in a

  • Sleep is serious: Catch your Zzzs

    “Beep. Beep. Beep,” the alarm blares. Time to get up. Do you hit snooze? On average, we spend 33 percent of our lives asleep. When assessing your overall health, have you considered your sleep habits?

  • 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.

  • Raven B: Securing the perimeter from above

    Small, hand-held, unmanned, light weight and remotely operated drones describe one of the ways technology is used to ensure the safety of deployed personnel. The 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron secures the base perimeter with help from the Raven B Digital Data Link drone at Al Udeid Air

  • 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.

  • Proficiency is key when accessing Alaska’s remote locations

    From the northernmost to the southernmost point, Alaska measures 1,420 miles -- the distance from Denver to Mexico City. Alaska has more than 600,000 square miles of land, and some locations are inaccessible, except by air. C-12F Huron pilots assigned to the 517th Airlift Squadron provide air

  • 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.

  • Minot tests Minuteman III with launch from Vandenberg AFB

    A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, and the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, aboard the Airborne Launch Control System, launched an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic

  • 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

  • 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 presents fiscal year 2017 budget

    The Air Force presented its fiscal year 2017 president's budget request Feb. 9 following the Defense Department and sister services’ budget briefings. The Air Force requested a top-line budget of $120.4 billion in Air Force-controlled funding that continues to take care of people, strike the right

  • 16th CMSAF speaks with intel Airmen

    A former chief master sergeant of the Air Force spoke with members of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center when he visited Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Jan. 29. Retired Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy told Airmen about what his career was like, what is happening with

  • Comms program hits 100,000 hours of warfighter connectivity

    The Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) program reached 100,000 combat flight hours Jan. 30. The system, which provides coalition interoperability among air, space and surface systems by forwarding and translating voice and data across disparate networks, began operating in theater in

  • Final GPS IIF satellite moves to next processing phase toward launch

    All of the intricate processing steps from delivery of the satellite to launching into orbit are part of their standard operations at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. But, it’s a bitter sweet moment when the team reflects on the extensive years of history they have processing GPS systems

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: The Challenger disaster

    It was 30 years ago that the much-anticipated launch of Space Shuttle Challenger quickly turned to tragedy. Here's a look back at this fateful day, as well as the successes of the shuttle's previous missions.

  • Astronaut rescue exercise proves Airmen ready to support space mission

    It's not common an astronaut must be rescued out of rough open waters after descending home to Earth in a crewed capsule; but when those space race-era days of human space flight return, a small Air Force detachment knows they will be ready. The 45th Operations Group’s Detachment 3 joined NASA's

  • SecAF testifies on military space launch

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee along with Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall on military space launch and the use of Russian-made rocket engines Jan. 27.

  • STRATCOM chief talks nuclear deterrence, modernization

    The global security environment calls for a continued strong nuclear deterrent along with modernization for elements of the nuclear triad and advanced training for U.S. Strategic Command’s workforce, the STRATCOM commander said Jan. 22 during a Washington, D.C., event.

  • Operation Desert Storm changed the Air Force through innovation

    Lt. Gen. John Raymond, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, addressed the Air Force Association on innovations that took place during Operation Desert Storm at the first AFA breakfast of the year Jan. 20 at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.

  • Air Force implements additional security measures

    In response to tragic events that have taken place on and off installations over the past few years, Air Force commanders can take additional measures to secure personnel and property on their installations through three programs that allow service members to carry weapons.

  • A shared love, goal, mission

    Since beginning their careers in 2005, Majs. Regina Wall and Jared Wall have shared almost every duty station and multiple deployments together.

  • A look back at Desert Storm, 25 years later

    Twenty-five years ago, the Air Force participated in Operation Desert Storm, the largest air campaign since the conflict in Southeast Asia. The campaign’s purpose was to drive the Iraqi military out of Kuwait, release the country from Saddam Hussein’s invasion and reestablish its sovereignty.

  • SecAF speaks at CSIS for Smart Women, Smart Power series

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies as part of its Smart Women, Smart Power series Jan. 14. SWSP launched in December 2014 and convenes top-level women leaders to discuss critical and timely issues in their respective fields, reflect on

  • Remembering Desert Storm: Where we are today in the Total Force Continuum

    A quarter of a century ago this week marked the opening salvo in Operation Desert Storm. The operation was an American shock and awe campaign to evict Saddam Hussein from Kuwait and displayed airpower that the world had not seen since Operation Linebacker II over Vietnam. I was honored to be part of

  • AF Safety Center marks 20th anniversary

    This year the Air Force Safety Center commemorates the organization's 20th anniversary. Since its designation, the basic mission has remained the same: preserving lives and combat capability through mishap prevention.

  • Deployed loadmasters fix problems ‘on the fly’

    A weasel is characterized by its tenacity, persistence and keen senses. It is an animal also known for its ability to react quickly in any given situation. An airlift squadron at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, shares these characteristics. Airmen of the 774th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron encompass

  • Tech Report: Orbital launch systems

    The Atlas V, Delta IV and Falcon 9 are three rockets used by the Air Force to launch national security payloads into space. For many years, the United Launch Alliance has been the exclusive manufacturer of rockets used by the Air Force for national security; however, in 2015 the Air Force certified

  • Dancing with a dragon: A pilot’s tale

    Gliding more than 13 miles above the Earth’s surface, the U-2S reconnaissance aircraft, also nicknamed Dragon Lady, flies unnoticed and silent to all but a select few. The U-2S is a single-seat, single-engine, high-altitude, reconnaissance, and surveillance aircraft capable of providing signals,

  • BLUE: The Spirit of Exploration

    Have you ever dreamed of going into space? In this episode of BLUE, we meet two Air Force astronauts who share their experiences and give us a glimpse into the future of space exploration.

  • Air Force Medical Service’s Year in Review

    In 2015, the doctors, nurses and technicians of the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) made a difference in the Air Force’s mission, while new AFMS technologies and training exercises ensured air and space superiority.

  • AF introduces enlisted Global Hawk pilots

    Air Force officials announced a new initiative Dec. 17 to enhance the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance mission by integrating enlisted remotely piloted aircraft pilots into the force.

  • Pentagon exhibit showcases Reserve leaders

    The Office of the Air Force Reserve unveiled 13 portraits of Air Force Reserve leaders during the Profiles in Leadership display ceremony here Dec. 7. The display celebrates and honors citizen Airmen’s contributions in serving the nation.

  • AMC C-17 facilitates airdrop for Missile Defense Agency test

    Over the summer, the Air Force Test Center sent a C-17 Globemaster III with air and maintenance crews from Edwards Air Force Base to Hawaii, but it was no vacation. The crews worked 24-hour shifts for several months to support a Missile Defense Agency test of the Ballistic Missile Defense System

  • AF twins receive French Legion of Honor for WWII service

    Seventy-one years after their World War II service in the Army Air Forces, identical twin brothers -- retired Air Force Reserve Majs. Raymond "Glenn" Clanin and Russell "Lynn" Clanin -- received the French government's highest distinction, the Legion of Honor medal.

  • 45th Space Wing supports NASA launch

    The 45th Space Wing supported NASA's successful launch of Orbital ATK CRS-4, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station from Space Launch Complex 41, Dec. 6.

  • Air Force A3 Receives Award for Space

    The Air Force Association presented the General Thomas D. White Space Award to the Headquarters U.S. Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations for outstanding contribution to American aerospace progress on Nov. 20.

  • A widow’s story: Living by faith

    Just before sunset on Veterans Day, she sat next to her husband’s headstone at Arlington National Cemetery, reminding her three children how their father was with God in heaven and what it means to have faith. Faith has kept Heather Gray moving forward. It’s what has gotten her through the grief and

  • Atlas V booster lands at Vandenberg

    One of the world’s largest cargo aircraft recently delivered an Atlas V booster to Vandenberg Air Force Base. The Antonov AN-124 made its way from a production facility in Decatur, Alabama, to deliver the booster Nov. 20.

  • Air Force revamping flight, operational medicine

    The Air Force Medical Service is restructuring flight and operational medicine by separating primary care and occupational medicine services into two distinct clinics, with the goal of improving care and creating more efficient and patient-centered workflows.

  • Healing through music

    Former Maj. Frank Vassar pulled out his cellphone and played a song that he wrote and recorded as other wounded Airmen listened closely. Vassar, 46, explained to about a dozen Airmen at a music therapy session Nov. 19 on Joint Base Andrews that the song, “Evil,” described his post-traumatic stress

  • Upgraded E-3 Sentry deploys to combat theater

    The first E-3G Sentry (AWACS) arrived in Southwest Asia Nov. 18, marking the deployment of the most comprehensive modification to the weapon system in its 38-year history. The Block 40/45 improved communications, computer processing power, threat tracking and other capabilities.

  • Denton Program delivers the goods

    A C-5 Galaxy delivered 23,415 pounds of humanitarian aid supplies to Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, Nov. 9 through the Denton Program.

  • AF strengthens ties with community through partnership program

    The Air Force Community Partnership Program (AFCP), one of the 13 Make Every Dollar Count initiatives launched by the Air Force, is currently working with 51 installations and local communities to improve and strengthen community and Air Force partnerships.

  • Buddies for life: Airmen maintain friendship throughout AF careers

    Seventeen years ago, a young Darko Desancic got on a school bus for his first day of sixth grade. While on his way, it didn't take long for one boy to make fun of his foreign accent. Little did they know that the friendly banter would be the start of a lasting friendship. Fast forward to 2015, Tech

  • UK rescue squadrons to relocate to Italy

    The 56th and 57th Rescue squadrons from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, United Kingdom, are relocating to Aviano Air Base, Italy, starting in fiscal year 2017, Air Force leaders announced Nov. 6.

  • Retired general talks issues facing females in military

    Retired Lt. Gen. Susan Helms, a former 14th Air Force commander, spoke to servicewomen from Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever AFB and Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station about issues facing females in the military during a women's brunch Oct. 29.

  • Academy grad preps for second spacewalk

    A 1995 Air Force Academy graduate and astronaut aboard the International Space Station is scheduled to make his second walk in space at 7:10 a.m. EST Nov. 6.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Air Force set to launch next-to-last GPS IIF satellite

    Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center and its mission partners are scheduled to launch the 11th Boeing-built Global Positioning System IIF satellite aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 launch vehicle Oct. 30 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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.

  • ‘A blood transfusion saved my life’

    "I do understand that it is a scary process for a lot of people to actually sit in that chair, have a needle put in and feel like a part of you is draining out, but you have to understand that it just takes a small part of you to make a whole of someone else," said 1st Lt. Fanita Schmidt, who

  • Ellsworth provides staging area for FEMA operation

    Ellsworth Air Force Base is continuing its tradition of partnering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, serving as the staging area for manufactured housing units destined for residents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

  • 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.

  • 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.