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  • Exercise Northern Edge 2019 comes to a close

    The fully integrated, large-scale exercise provided realistic and comprehensive joint training opportunities in and around Alaskan land and airspace, as well as in and above the Gulf of Alaska. NE19 participants trained on defensive counter-air, close-air support and air interdiction of maritime

  • Superintendents join AFPC Squadron Commander Course

    Previous courses this year provided a first-hand opportunity to new and sitting squadron commanders to learn about AFPC programs and processes for talent management and care for Airmen and families. This iteration offered superintendents the same opportunity, with 41 commanders and civilian

  • Yokota AB Airman Earns Bronze Star Downrange

    From Sept. 27, 2017 to Sept. 26, 2018, Charles was assigned to the 438th Air Expeditionary Wing. During this time, he operated outside of the coalition-controlled airfield, where he endured 19 indirect fire rocket attacks and was exposed to a persistent threat of insider attacks.

  • Reserve & Active Airmen team up at Palmetto Challenge

    Airmen trained on “real world” scenarios that could happen in a deployed environment when provided limited resources. For exercise purposes, there were two “deployed” locations, one at Pope AAF and the other at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, South Carolina.

  • AFMC team receives prestigious award for life-saving aircraft technology

    The Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System, or Auto-GCAS, team won the 2018 Robert J. Collier Trophy, an award bestowed annually by the National Aeronautic Association that recognizes “the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance,

  • Hill AFB F-35s, Airmen deploy to Europe as part of Theater Security Package

    Funded through the European Deterrence Initiative, the TSP provides a more robust U.S. military rotational presence in the European theater capable of deterring adversaries and assuring partners and allies of U.S. commitment to regional security. The F-35s and members of the 421st and 466th Fighter

  • Okies support exercise Northern Edge

    The 507th ARW and 465th Air Refueling Squadron provided KC-135R Stratotanker aerial refueling support to joint Department of Defense aircraft during the large force exercise.

  • Airmen come together for Combat Archer exercise

    The Combat Archer exercise, also known as the Weapons Systems Evaluation Program, is the Department of Defense’s largest air-to-air live-fire evaluation exercise. Squadron leaders monitor the lifespan of a missile to assess execution performance by maintenance crew members, aircraft armament systems

  • Wise Guy back in the sky

    A team of Reserve Citizen Airmen and active duty maintainers spent four months prepping Wise Guy, a B-52 Stratofortress for flight. The bomber had been at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group since 2008.

  • Hanscom AFB software teams decode F-35 maintenance

    Software teams from Hanscom Air Force Base are fielding applications that help aircraft maintainers at Nellis AFB, Nevada, plan for successful operational testing of the Air Force’s newest fighter, the F-35 Lightning II.

  • Air Force completes test of combat support innovation

    The Combat Support Wing proof-of-concept capstone exercise developed by the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center and hosted by Air Combat Command’s 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, tested the ability of three teams of about 30 Airmen each to establish

  • Building a weather-ready nation

    The purpose of the tour is to help create a weather-ready nation by raising awareness for the upcoming hurricane season occurring June 1 – Nov. 30, with an emphasis this year on raising awareness about inland flooding.

  • Air Force’s top recruiter climbs even higher

    Master Sgt. Gervacio Maldonado, a former Health Professions recruiter and now flight chief with the 318th Recruiting Squadron, was surprised and ecstatic when he learned winning the 2018 Maj. Gen. A.J. Stewart Top AFRS Recruiter award would take him even higher.

  • Secretary of the Air Force announces Grand Forks AFB re-designation

    The re-designation, initiated by Gen. Mike Holmes, Air Combat Command commander, aligns Grand Forks AFB’s host wing and the 69th Reconnaissance Group. The 69th RG, which flies the high-altitude, remotely-piloted RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft, has been aligned under the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale

  • Bolt inspection tool wins innovation award

    Tech. Sgt. Steven Iziguerra, 100th Maintenance Squadron Non-Destructive Inspections Section noncommissioned officer in charge, won the Team Mildenhall Innovation of the Quarter Award for the first quarter of 2019 for a slot guided inspection carriage he developed to increase the efficiency of the

  • Air Force to reactivate aggressor squadron for F-35 training

    The action came after Gen. Mike Holmes, Air Combat Command commander, recommended training for fifth generation fighter tactics development and close-air support would be improved by adding F-35s to complement the fourth generation aircraft currently being used.

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • AERONet prototype could provide combat insight to allies

    The Airborne Extensible Relay Over-Horizon Network, or AERONet, digitally links friendly forces, providing them with their own location, the location of other friendly forces and real-time enemy movement updates. It will be showcased to partner nations at the Bold Quest exercise in Finland this

  • CSAF helps honor rescue community

    The three-day event brought past and present ‘Jolly Greens’ together to celebrate their heritage, reminisce about past missions and to present the JGA’s final Rescue Mission of the Year award to crews from the 41st Rescue Squadron and 48th RQS.

  • CNMI signs $21.9M 40-year lease with US DOD

    The Commonwealth Ports Authority, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands government and the U.S. Department of Defense finalized and signed a 40-year lease agreement worth $21.9 million for the U.S. Air Force’s divert airfield on Tinian Island, May 3.

  • Munitions complex coming to Eglin AFB

    The Air Force Research Laboratory facility, officially designated as the Advanced Munitions Technology Complex, will provide increased munitions research and test capabilities for the warfighter.

  • Thunderbird performance dazzles Make-A-Wish families

    The Make-A-Wish Foundation offered children diagnosed with critical illnesses a chance to view U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds in action during their unique over-the-water practice demonstration at The Thunder Over the Sound: Keesler and Biloxi Air and Space Show on the beach in Biloxi, Mississippi, May

  • Operation Restore Paradise enhances readiness through adaptive basing

    Airmen deploy frequently, leaving their work centers behind. But what if Airmen stayed and their work centers deployed?The Air Force has two deployable Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratories called a Rapid Assistance Support for Calibration unit. Mountain Home Air Force Base is trusted with

  • Hill AFB F-35A units assist in F-16 fighter training

    For the last two weeks, F-16 basic course students and instructor pilots from the 311th Fighter Squadron at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, have been flying with and against the Air Force’s first operational F-35A units.

  • Hill AFB fighter wings conduct combat exercise

    The friendly and enemy forces were made up of F-35 Lightning IIs from Hill AFB, F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 311th Fighter Squadron at Holloman AFB, New Mexico, and 80th FS at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, and a team of contracted aggressor pilots from Draken International, at Nellis AFB, Nevada.

  • Leaders discuss Tyndall AFB rebuild at second Industry Day

    John Henderson, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and energy, reaffirmed the Air Force’s commitment to rebuild Tyndall Air Force Base during a symposium with industry representatives May 2, at Florida State University-Panama City.

  • 818th MSAS, Burkinabé Partnership: Restoring Rotary Wing Capability

    The 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron sent a rotary wing maintenance and operations mobile training team to Burkina Faso, Africa, April 5-20 to train and aid the partner nation in identifying the cause of significant mechanical issues impacting the Burkina Faso air force’s UH-1H helicopter

  • Exercise Rapid Weasel enhances 52nd Fighter Wing innovation, readiness

    “Rapid Weasel was a demonstration of the 52nd FW’s ability to rapidly project combat power by opening an airfield, refueling and re-arming fighter aircraft, then quickly departing to other locations,” said Lt. Col. Leonardo Tongko, 435th Contingency Response Squadron commander.

  • Command Post: Getting the message out

    The command post is a hub of incoming and outgoing communications on any base 24/7. They are the central communication liaison between agencies and personnel such as major commands, commanders, first sergeants, Air Force Red Cross and base agencies for Airmen base wide.

  • Wing begins annual mission to Greenland

    Airmen of the 109th Airlift Wing kicked off their annual support for National Science Foundation research in Greenland April 23, as about 80 Airmen and three LC-130 Hercules aircraft left Stratton Air National Guard Base for Kangerlussuaq, Greenland.

  • 1st WXG’s virtual training brings real benefits

    Airmen assigned to the 1st Weather Group are rolling out virtual reality training tailored to the needs of the Air Force Weather community, allowing them to train faster and smarter.Delivered in March, 1st WXG’s NextGen Environmental Weather Training System simulates setting up and assembling a

  • AFMETCAL updates NextGen

    The updates included fixes to software bugs and automated support capability for pieces of old and new Test, Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment.

  • Johnson retires after 32 years

    Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark Johnson has twice been a senior leader at Defense Logistics Agency, first as director of DLA Aviation from March 2013 to March 2015. Then after a two-year tour as commander of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, he returned to the

  • 571st MSAS training engagement with Costa Rican Air Vigilance Service

    The 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron completed a training event with the Air Vigilance Service, or SVA, of Costa Rica from March 23 through April 12 across two locations near the capital city of San José.This fundamental training was the 571st MSAS’ second full training engagement in Costa

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • Vandenberg AFB aids during exercise Patriot Hook 2019

    Exercise Patriot Hook 2019, an annual joint-service exercise coordinated by the Air Force Reserve Command, took place at Vandenberg Air Force Base, April 10 through 15. The five day long exercise demonstrated the execution of civil relief operations that would typically occur following a natural

  • Hill AFB Airmen deploy F-35A to support coalition forces

    Airmen from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings at Hill Air Force Base deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, to support the Air Force Central Command mission in the Middle East. The aircraft arrived in country on April 15.

  • Air Force’s F-35A Lightning II arrives for first Middle East deployment

    As the first deployment to the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility, crews are prepared and trained for the AFCENT mission. The F-35A, the conventional takeoff and landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, provides greater operational capability by combining advanced stealth

  • Depot liaison engineers speed up aircraft repair process

    The 380th Expeditionary Maintenance Group hosts one of only five Depot Liaison Engineer positions within the Air Force Central Command area of responsibility.“I have a pretty boring job if there are no aircraft broken – which is fine, we accept that.” said 1st Lt. M. Rebecca Kretzer, AFCENT DLE and

  • Honoring a legend

    Retired Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” Cole, the last surviving member of the Doolittle Raid and an original Air Commando, passed away at the age of 103, April 9.

  • New chapter for the 911th Airlift Wing

    As of the first week of April, three out of the eight C-17s assigned to the 911th AW will be stationed at the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station. The rest of the aircraft are to arrive over the next few months.

  • Air Force ROTC cadets find their Pathway to Blue

    Second Air Force held their fifth annual Pathways to Blue event at Keesler Air Force Base, where more than 250 Air Force ROTC cadets and enlisted members attended to learn about different officer career fields, April 5-6.

  • Air Force PEAT lead visits Joint Base Langley-Eustis

    The Air Force Physiological Episodes Action team lead visited the NASA Langley Research Center March 28, to discuss the importance of an ongoing pilot breathing assessment with senior Air Combat Command health officials and NASA engineers.

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • Airmen, Sailors build bonds during LIMA 19

    The U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III team lead, is drenched in sweat, his face bright red. The heat index is well over 100 degrees and half-moon circles creep through his flight suit, the humidity soaring off the charts. Yet he doesn’t seem to mind, letting it roll right off of him like water off

  • Spark Cell winner solves mid-air refueling problem

    Tinkering with a small communication box in his home garage, recent Spark Cell winner Staff Sgt. Jeremie Anderson, 9th Special Operations Squadron MC-130J Commando II instructor loadmaster, discovered an innovation in mid-air refueling that changed the way loadmasters execute the mission.

  • Wilson, Goldfein outline Air Force progress, need for larger force

    Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein told the House Armed Services Committee Tuesday that the Air Force must get bigger and funding must be predictable to meet – and defeat – security threats at home, globally and in space in an era of great

  • Firefighter training goes virtual

    Firefighters train weekly to maintain readiness, so when the call comes to put their lives at risk for the people they serve, they are prepared.Whether in training or on a live fire, they are susceptible to various carcinogenic toxins - until now.

  • RAF partners with PTN to innovate pilot training pipeline

    It’s been said that “seeing is believing” and after a visit last May to the Pilot Training Next facility in Austin and facing a pilot shortage, the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force is taking innovation to the next level with the inclusion of a student and an instructor pilot in the second iteration

  • AFPC hosts Squadron Commander Course

    The Air Force’s Personnel Center hosted its second squadron commander course March 18-22.After a six-year hiatus, the course was reinstituted in January and redesigned to provide new and sitting squadron commanders a first-hand opportunity to learn about key issues and processes about AFPC’s key

  • Two nations, one mission: US TACP, Thai CCT join forces

    The U.S. tactical air control party Airmen lower tactical vests over their heads with practiced confidence, quietly relaying a composure born of constant training. They strap their helmets on and prepare for the first strike of the day.

  • Air Force National Museum’s 75th anniversary of D-Day in May, June

    On June 6, 1944, D-Day - the largest amphibious assault in history - took place as more than 150,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of heavily fortified French coast. Seventy five years later, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will