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  • B-1B Lancer: More than meets the eye

    Carrying the largest payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the Air Force inventory, the multi-mission B-1B Lancer is the backbone of America's long-range bomber force, and is flown here by the 34th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron."We have a lot of coalition forces on the ground in Afghanistan,"

  • Skies to conquer: Langley Airman scales Mount Everest

    In the early hours of May 19, Capt. Kyle Martin battled cutting winds gusting at 100 mph as he fought to summit the highest point on earth. After nine hours of technical climbing, he and the rest of the Air Force 7 Summits team stood atop 29,029 feet of rock and ice. Martin, an F-16 Fighting Falcon

  • Anatomy of a hurricane hunter: When storms get personal

    During Maj. Sean Cross' first flight into what became Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, he and his WC-130J Hercules crew joked and asked themselves why they were even tasked for the mission. "There was absolutely nothing to it at that point," he said.By his second flight, the jokes stopped and were

  • As Nellis AFB grounds aircraft, training goes virtual

    The sky over southern Nevada is quieter than they have been in quite some time due to the June 1 Air Combat Command directed stand down of flying operations.Despite the stand down, the 64th Aggressor Squadron remains committed to accomplishing their mission, said Lt. Col. Michael Shepherd, the 64th

  • Reservists to deploy in support of fires in Colorado

    Two Air Force Reserve Command Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped C-130s Hercules and aircrews from the 302nd Airlift Wing are supporting the firefighting efforts for southern Colorado fires.Air Force Reserve officials here received official word from the U.S. Forest Service on the night

  • Fleet grows, training increases for F-35

     The largest fleet of F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighters grew to 25 aircraft as the F-35 Integrated Training Center here welcomed two new Air Force F-35A variants of the multi-role fighter to the Emerald Coast, June 5.The expansion gives the 58th Fighter Squadron the ability to fly an expanded

  • Andrews Airmen powered by innovation

    Airmen with the 11th Logistics Readiness Squadron here answered the call to innovate as the Air Force faces a slashed budget this year.The four-member logistics team realized JB Andrews could save more than $10,000 per year by changing the way they acquired cars used to transport distinguished

  • Maintainers apply innovative protection to C-130s

    Rocks kicked up when landing a C-130 Hercules on unimproved runways can damage the fuselage of the aircraft. To combat this problem, maintainers in the 302nd Maintenance Group here began putting tape on the plane's belly. In January, they took another step by applying protective tape to the forward

  • Academy cadets operate small unmanned aircraft systems

    Eleven U.S. Air Force Academy cadets learned to operate RQ-11B Raven small unmanned aircraft systems, or SUAS, during an initial qualification training course at Choctaw Airfield, Fla., June 3-14.The RQ-11B Raven is a lightweight and low-altitude, remotely piloted system that provides real-time

  • PyroLance: Water with firepower

    Today's aircraft rescue and firefighting emergencies require a quick response and the ability to access complex composite structures such as the many Air Force airframes protected by the 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron firefighters here.To do this, firefighters require top-notch tools

  • Logistics Airmen own the night during joint-service training

    A joint-coalition team led by the 451st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron peers into a dark, moonless sky in preparation for a nighttime helicopter sling load mission. All of their other senses are heightened to compensate for the reduced visibility as a UH-60 Black Hawk flown by Soldiers

  • F-35A completes 1st in-flight missile launch

    An F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft completed the first in-flight missile launch of an AIM-120 over the Point Mugu Sea Test Range, June 5. It was the first launch where the F-35 and AIM-120 demonstrated a successful launch-to-eject communications sequence and fired the rocket motor

  • T-1 Jayhawk modifications take electronic warfare training airborne

    The 451st Flying Training Squadron completed the final step of a long journey when a T-1A Jayhawk modified for electronic warfare training took flight on a training sortie June 4. This is the first time in Air Force history an undergraduate aviation program has formally incorporated the fundamentals

  • Green Flag-West readies B-1 aircrews for future deployments

    Airmen from the 9th Bomb Squadron participated in a Green Flag-West exercise May 17-31, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., in order to prepare for future deployments.Green Flag-West is an exercise that provides units training on a scale not available near their home stations. It replicates irregular

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Following the footsteps of a life cut short

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)They shared the same name. They flew and fought the same types of Wild Weasel fighter jet missions. They looked alike and the family says they even

  • After 3 decades, maintainers keep B-1 on top

    With a career that spans across three decades and a warfighting reputation that rivals nearly every aircraft in the Air Force's arsenal, the B-1 Bomber has established itself as one of the United States' most crucial assets to maintaining air and ground superiority. This achievement was built on the

  • AF excepts civilians affected by tornadoes from furlough

    The Air Force announced Monday, June 3, that civilian employees whose homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by the recent Oklahoma tornadoes will be "excepted" from administrative furlough.While most Air Force civilian employees received their notices May 28, Tinker Air Force Base delayed

  • Families of fallen find caring support in family liaisons

    June 9 will mark three years since Master Sgt. Marisa Flores lost her husband, Tech. Sgt. Michael Flores, when he and four other pararescuemen died from injuries received during a HH-60G Pave Hawk crash in Afghanistan. Some days are still a challenge. Every now and then, Flores said she comes across

  • Today's Air Force visits the Boneyard, takes glimpse at aviation history

    Air Force Television News released a new, special edition of Today's Air Force on May 31.Featured in this episode is a visit to the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., taking viewers for an inside look at what happens to Air Force planes after they've flown their last mission. Here,

  • Afghan airmen gain new airpower capability

    As the 2013 fighting season continues in Afghanistan, the Afghan National Security Forces can add yet another airpower capability to their ever increasing list: air attack from an Afghan air force Mi-35 HIND attack helicopter.Members of the 377th Rotary Wing Squadron from the Kabul Air Wing fired 23

  • Air Force establishes F-35 IOC target

    The Air Force announced today it expects to declare F-35A Lightning II initial operation capability in December 2016. The announcement was included in a joint report detailing service-specific IOC requirements and dates for each of the F-35 variants that was delivered to Congress today."The Air

  • Hagel, in Hawaii, praises 'value added' force integration

    The tight integration in Hawaii between active-duty service members, civilian defense employees and National Guardsmen points to the future of the overall force, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told troops at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam here May 30."That's as much value added as I think we can get

  • Special ops commanders seek intel, data-sharing assets

    Senior commanders recently called on the defense industry to provide technologies that give special operations forces more situational awareness, better networking and communications and more precise location and targeting capabilities.Officials from across U.S. Special Operations Command, including

  • Air Force OCC chopper retires

    After more than five years of service, one of the Air Force's mobile marketing assets, the F-22 Raptor-themed chopper, retired and moved to its new home in the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Designed by the Orange County Choppers, the chopper

  • F-35B celebrates 1 year at Eglin

    The Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron-501 celebrated the one-year anniversary of flying the F-35B Lightning II here Wednesday, May 22, by continuing to train up the pilots and maintainers on the nation's newest fifth-generation fighter."This is a once in a lifetime chance to get to write the

  • Volunteer aviators salute Academy grads with vintage flyover

    Historic World War II aircraft performed flyovers for the U.S. Air Force Academy's Class of 2013 graduation events here May 27-29.Traditionally, the Air Force Academy's graduation ceremony flyover is conducted by the Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team, while other Air Force aircraft

  • Predator passes 20,000-hour mark in Afghanistan

    An MQ-1 Predator assigned here recently became the first Predator to pass 20,000 flying hours over Afghanistan, a feat equivalent to flying 15 hours every other day, for 2,667 days.While the Predator remotely piloted aircraft program surpassed one million hours of total development, test, training

  • F-15 crashes in Pacific, pilot safe

    Japan Air Self Defense Force rescue squadron crews safely recovered the pilot who ejected from a Kadena-based F-15 aircraft over the Pacific Ocean approximately 70 miles east of Okinawa at around 9 a.m. May 27. The pilot is in stable condition and is being evaluated at a military medical facility.

  • SecAF: Sequestration hits AF readiness, modernization

    Sequestration has hit the Air Force particularly hard, impacting its force structure, readiness and modernization, senior Air Force leaders said here today.Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley and Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, the chief of staff, said Congress must provide a solid budget number so the

  • F-35 ITF works toward night, weather certification

    The F-35 Integrated Test Force is wrapping up a series of night flights, which are testing the aircraft's capability when flying in instrument meteorological conditions. It is a necessary step in delivering a core competency to the warfighter - the ability to fly the jet safely when there are no

  • Afghan air force improves casualty evacuation capability

    While the Afghan air force continues to take the lead and ownership of combat operations, they have also rapidly risen to the challenge of improving casualty evacuation, or CASEVAC, procedures by using both the Mi-17 helicopter and Cessna 208 aircraft. Between December 2012 and April 2013, CASEVAC

  • DOD firefighter certification program turns 20

    It has shaped Department of Defense firefighters for two decades. This May, the DOD Fire and Emergency Services Certification Program that ensures military and civilian firefighters are properly trained, certified and qualified marks its 20th anniversary.The Air Force Civil Engineer Center here

  • KC-46A training, operational bases, alternatives selected

    Air Force officials announced today Altus Air Force Base, Okla., as the preferred alternative for the KC-46A formal training unit (FTU).McConnell AFB, Kan., was selected as the preferred alternative for the first active duty led KC-46A main operating base (MOB 1) and Fairchild AFB, Wash., and Grand

  • Tinker AFB aircraft return to Oklahoma after diverting to Arizona

    Six Air Force E-3 Sentries and two Navy E-6B Mercuries returned to Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., May 21 after diverting here in advance of severe weather in Oklahoma.The E-6Bs and one E-3 arrived May 17, while the other five E-3s arrived May 20 with less than eight hours notice. The inclement

  • Arizona base houses Oklahoma aircraft during tornado

    Six U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry and two U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft arrived here from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. during the weekend of May 17 due to severe weather in Oklahoma.The inclement weather that caused the aircraft to divert included a tornado that touched down, destroying Moore, Okla.,

  • F-35A instructor pilots qualify in aerial refueling

    The initial cadre of F-35A Lightning II instructor pilots qualified in aerial refueling last week, adding another capability for student pilot training at the 33rd Fighter Wing's F-35 Integrated Training Center here."Eleven pilots had flown 14 refueling missions across the boom with the help of a

  • Massive tornado hits near Tinker AFB

    Nearly 250 members of the Oklahoma National Guard, as well as members of Tinker Air Force Base are assisting with victim search and security in Moore, Okla., where a tornado left at least 24 dead, including nine children, authorities said.The twister hit Monday, May 20, about 3:15 p.m. CDT, just

  • USAFE-AFAFRICA infrastructure under pressure

    U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa is seeing the ripple effect from sequestration. Budget cuts for this fiscal year to facilities sustainment and restoration are expected to cause readiness issues now and into the future. Lt. Gen. Tom Jones, the USAFE-AFAFRICA interim commander, said these

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Guard service leads Airman to extremes

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)Staff Sgt. Sophia Mantzouris of the 386th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron said she knew she wanted to enlist on active duty from the time she was a little

  • Active-duty officers sought for attaché duty

    Active duty line of the Air Force captains, majors and lieutenant colonels interested in attaché duty could find themselves on an international affairs team in Switzerland, Venezuela, Burma and others, but those interested must submit their applications by June 20 to be considered, said Air Force

  • Cadets earn praise for cyclogyro project

    Aeronautical Engineering cadets have presented their award-winning design of a search and rescue and medical evacuation aircraft for the year 2045 to Academy and industry leaders at the Aero Lab here May 13.Nine cadets collaboratively designed "The Night Owl," a futuristic cyclogyro that can direct

  • Air Force Reserve submits construction plans to Senate

    The top leaders from the Air Force's active and reserve components went to Capitol Hill May 15 to provide statements and answer questions about their plans for new construction projects in fiscal 2014.Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., chairman, and Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., the ranking member of the

  • Airmen train with Polish air force

    Nearly 100 Airmen assigned to the 115th Fighter Wing, Wisconsin Air National Guard, here to train in a joint theater security cooperation event with the Polish air force. This event, hosted by the U.S. Aviation Detachment 1, is geared toward enhancing the skills of U.S. and Polish F-16 Fighting

  • Hanscom AFB-managed program helps save Airman's life

     A program managed here that helps get supplies safely to warfighters was recently used in Afghanistan to help save an Airman's life.The Dynamic Retasking Capability Urgent Operational Need provides the ability for C-17 Globemaster IIIs and C-130J Hercules to be directed to an alternative location

  • Spangdahlem AB Airmen launch final A-10 sortie in Europe

    Airmen here launched the final A-10 Thunderbolt II tactical sortie in Europe here May 14.The airframe belongs to the 52nd Fighter Wing's 81st Fighter Squadron, which inactivates in June."I'm proud to be a part of the last sortie," said Lt. Col. Jeff Hogan, the 81st FS director of operations and a

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Weather Airman survives lightning strike

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)A weather Airman who issues warnings when lightning strikes take place within five miles of an air base here knows the danger: He's a lightning-strike

  • Afghan AF rises to combat test

    An Afghan national army soldier looks up from his post near Tarin Khowt in the Uruzgan Province. He's surrounded by rugged mountains, a flowing river, a green and vibrant valley and Taliban insurgents trying to overrun the area. The soldier, along with 39 other ANA commandos, is running low on

  • Fallen Airmen honored

    Four Airmen including two Beale Airmen whose MC-12 Liberty crashed and claimed their lives near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, April 27 were honored during a memorial service here May 6. Hundreds of service members, civilians, family and friends gathered to remember and honor their lives.Capt. Reid

  • Transit Center honors fallen heroes

    Friend and colleague. Mentor and role model. Son and daughter. Husband and wife. Mother and father. Airman and hero. These were just some of the words used to describe three fallen warriors. Service members gathered for a memorial service May 9, 2013, at Transit Center at Manas here to honor and pay

  • F-35 fighter takes another step forward

    The Air Force took another step forward with its newest fighter jet when an advanced F-35 Lightning II landed at the service's lead training base, home to the largest fleet of F-35s worldwide.The new stealth fighter kicks off a major training effort at the F-35 schoolhouse on an aircraft with

  • AF energy chief 'service to America' finalist

    The nonprofit Partnership for Public Service announced their 2013 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America medalists, which included a senior Air Force official. Dr. Kevin Geiss, Air Force deputy assistant secretary for energy, was recognized as a finalist May 7 on Washington's Capitol Hill. The

  • C-5M undergoes 'super' upgrade at Edwards AFB

    In 2006, the C-5 Galaxy underwent a "super" upgrade to further strengthen the airframe's worldwide airlift capabilities. Test teams here and at Dover Air Force Base, Del., are showing why the recent software upgrade to the largest aircraft in the Air Force inventory -- now known as the C-5M Super

  • Fire hits home for California Air Guard Airmen

    When hot, dry, gusty winds from the east, known as Santa Ana winds, carried the sparks and embers of the Camarillo Springs wildfire dangerously close to homes and neighborhoods late last week, the California National Guard members who responded alongside fire personnel had a unique opportunity: to

  • National Museum of the U.S. Air Force selected for heritage award

    The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force was recently selected by the U.S. Air Force History and Museums Program as the recipient of the 2013 Air Force Heritage Award for an exhibit titled Destruction from High Above: The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress in Southeast Asia.The award recognizes outstanding

  • Warrior Games 2013: Airman gets second chance at life

    You only live once, the saying goes. That may be true for most, but for one former jet engine mechanic that is not the case.Former Senior Airman Darrell Fisher had been fascinated with aviation since he was a child growing up in Fayetteville, N.C.  After working in the civilian sector for a while

  • Team works to improve precision of high altitude airdrops

    A team here is working to improve safety for warfighters by increasing accuracy of high altitude airdrops with mission planning tools.The Joint Precision Airdrop System, or JPADS, is a family of equipment that consists of parachutes, mission planning systems, global positioning systems and computer

  • Synonyms: Superman and Doolittle Raider

    Looking around the auditorium, legends fill the room. A Tuskegee Airman subtly takes his seat in the crowd. Medal of Honor recipient George "Bud" Day strolls in on his wheelchair and takes a seat near the front. And on the stage stand three men who hundreds came to honor.This was one of the many

  • Calif. ANG battles raging wildfires

    The California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing is providing two specialized firefighting C-130J aircraft and crews to assist with wildfires raging across the state.Acting on a request for support from state emergency agencies, Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. directed Army Maj. Gen. David S.

  • C-130 squadron first to perform new airdrop method

    The 772nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron executed the first combat Extracted Container Delivery System, or XCDS, airdrop April 29, successfully demonstrating the increased accuracy that this new technology provides. The new airdrop method is designed to pull the bundles out of the aircraft at a

  • Three Fairchild Airmen perish in KC-135 crash

    Three Airmen from the 93rd Air Refueling Squadron tragically perished Friday, May 3, near Chon-Aryk, Kyrgyzstan, in the crash of a KC-135 Stratotanker.The crew and aircraft were assigned to the Transit Center at Manas near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.The deceased are:Capt. Mark T. Voss, 27, hometown of

  • X-51A Waverider achieves breakthrough in final flight

    The final flight of the X-51A Waverider test program has accomplished a breakthrough in the development of flight reaching Mach 5.1 over the Pacific Ocean May 1. "It was a full mission success," said Charlie Brink, the X-51A program manager for the Air Force Research Laboratory Aerospace Systems

  • Airmen deliver food, medicine to Syrian refugees

    U.S. Air Force members from the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing loaded pallets of non-lethal aid on to a C-17 aircraft early April 30 at an undisclosed airbase in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.The American Airmen, deployed to a U.S. ally nation, loaded the Air Mobility Command C-17

  • KC-135 crashes in Kyrgyzstan

    An Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed May 3 in northern Kyrgyzstan. Emergency response crews are on scene. The status of the crew is unknown.The crew and aircraft are assigned to the Transit Center at Manas near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.The cause of the crash is under investigation.(Courtesy 376th Air

  • Eglin AFB munitions unit creates ammo linker for AFSOC

    A new, lighter, mobile 30 mm ammo linker system is set for delivery to Air Force Special Operations Command units here in May.The 89-pound apparatus can feed 15 unattached 30 mm rounds into MK-15 links via a crank system and was created and designed by Eglin Air Force Base's munitions materiel

  • Any time, anywhere data access coming soon

    In the not-too-distant future, Defense Department personnel will be able to securely access data any time and anywhere, the department's deputy chief information officer for command, control, communications and computers and information infrastructure said here today.The current mobility strategy

  • USAFE fighter squadrons affected by sequestration

    Nearly half of the fighter squadrons in U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa halted flying operations three weeks ago.The action was a result of the reduction of flying hours Air Force-wide -- one impact of the current sequestration-related budget challenges affecting the Defense

  • Every Dollar Counts campaign to launch May 1

    Beginning May 1, Airmen can submit their cost-reducing ideas via the Airmen Powered by Innovation websites while at home, the office or on their smartphones. With budgets shrinking, Air Force leaders are calling on Airmen to share their best money-saving ideas through the "Every Dollar Counts"

  • JSTARS: Connecting the dots on battlefield

    After slipping by each other the narrow aisle of an E-8C Joint STARS aircraft, more than a dozen Airmen settle into their seats and begin to flip switches and work through checklists. Their olive-green headsets block out the roar of the jet engines and replace it with busy radio chatter as the crew

  • 4 Airmen killed in MC-12 crash in Afghanistan

    The Department of Defense announced April 28 the deaths of four airmen who were supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. They died April 27, near Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, in the crash of an MC-12 aircraft. The cause of the crash is under investigation, however initial reporting indicates there

  • SecAF: Hanscom enabling linked AF future

    Systems that help collect, process and push data to where it's needed quickly and securely are vital to Air Force operations, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley said during a visit here April 25."Working independently and also with world-class high tech talent in the Boston area, you help

  • Congress reviews Air Force's readiness at House hearing

    The top leaders from the Air Force's active and Reserve components were on Capitol Hill on April 24 to provide statements and answer questions regarding their fiscal year 2014 budgets and force readiness.Representative Rob Wittman, (R-Va.), the chairman of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee,

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Thunderbirds crew chief takes to new heights

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)Growing up around small planes, it's no surprise that 23-year-old Staff Sgt. Ben Ayivorh, a dedicated crew chief assigned to the U.S. Air Force Air

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: The walk toward flight

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)There's a saying -- "a journey begins with a single step." For a flight engineer assigned to the 8th Special Operations Squadron here, even a single step

  • Affordability priority for F-35 program

    Affordability remains the priority for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, the Pentagon's program executive officer for the Defense Department's most expensive procurement told Congress yesterday.Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan told the Senate Armed Services Committee's airland

  • Indonesian, U.S. forces practice humanitarian evacuation

    After two days of in-class lectures, U.S. and Indonesian service members and civilians from the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Center participated in an aeromedical evacuation subject-matter expert exchange here, April 24.During the exchange, a disaster scenario was simulated in which patients

  • Former Ellsworth wing commander honored

    Ellsworth Honor Guard members raised the base flag in honor of Maj. Gen. Joseph Brown IV at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., April 23, 2013. Brown, who was stationed at Ellsworth from June 2001 to June 2005, and his wife, Sue, were killed April 19 when the Cessna 210 he was piloting crashed in

  • Edwards completes tests to extend KC-135

    Known as "The Mighty War Wagon" of the Air Force, the KC-135 Stratotanker has proven to be the core aerial refueling capability for the Air Force for more than 50 years.With the help of the 418th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards, along with a multitude of testers, the KC-135 Block 45 test team

  • Ramstein Airmen train with Romanian counterparts

    More than 80 Airmen from Ramstein participated in exercise Carpathian Spring in Romania April 12 through 21.The exercise was designed for aircrew to receive upgrade training as well as building partnership capacity with Romanians."Sequestration has forced us to be more efficient with our training

  • SecAF: Readiness, modernization in flux

    The Air Force will see few force structure changes this year, but readiness and modernization accounts will be in flux this year and next, Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley said here today.The secretary also told the Defense Writers' Group that now is the time for another base realignment and

  • Doolittle Raiders greet, inspire Hurlburt Field Airmen during final reunion

    Three Air Force legends spoke to dozens of Airmen April 18 here, marking the 71st anniversary of when they and their fellow Airmen turned the tide of the U.S. war effort. The visit also marked the last public reunion of the Doolittle Raiders. Retired Lt. Cols. Richard Cole and  Edward Saylor and

  • Sequestration will affect force readiness

    The four branches of the military delivered another warning to Congress April 18 that a prolonged budget sequester will significantly affect military readiness, and could leave the services unable to carry out defense strategy.Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer told lawmakers

  • Sequestration impact on combat aviation: decreased readiness

    The near and long term effects of sequestration and budget cuts for the military's combat aviation assets was the focus of a House Armed Services Committee subcommittee panel on Capitol Hill April 17.Two of the Air Force's top experts on combat aviation acquisition and operations, along with their

  • Airman's sharp eye saves AF $348K

    As Air Force officials seek to institute a culture change through the "Every Dollar Counts" campaign, one deployed airman's determination helped to save more than a third of a million dollarsMaster Sgt. Ernest Harrison, 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron transportation management

  • General, wife die in private plane crash

    Maj. Gen. Joseph D. Brown IV and his wife, Sue S. Brown, were killed April 19, when the Cessna 210 he was piloting crashed in Williamsburg, Va. General Brown has been the commandant of The Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy in Washington D.C. since October

  • Air Force Combat Talons fly for last time

    The Air Force's last four MC-130E Combat Talon I's spread their wings for a final mission from their home at Duke Field on April 15.The Talons will be officially retired in a ceremony at Duke Field on April 25 and the aircraft will then be flown to the "boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base,

  • Reserve, Guard leaders discuss FY14 budget

    The top leaders from Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force Reserve and National Guard were on Capitol Hill here April 17 to provide statements and answer questions regarding their FY14 budget proposals.Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., the chairwoman of the full U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, Sen.

  • Hagel eliminates Distinguished Warfare Medal

    Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has eliminated the Distinguished Warfare Medal, DOD officials announced today.Instead, the military will recognize service members who directly affect combat operations without being present through distinguishing devices that will be affixed to already existing

  • 'Thunderbirds' announce 2014 officer selections

    The commander of Air Combat Command, Gen. Mike Hostage III, has officially selected the officers who will be joining the United States Air Force Thunderbirds for the 2014 demonstration season. Lt. Col. Matthew Bradley, 83rd Fighter Weapons Squadron director of operations from Tyndall AFB, Fla., will

  • Air Superiority: Advantage over enemy skies for 60 years

    A few months after the D-Day invasion in June 1944, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower surveyed the Normandy beaches with his son. "You'd never get away with this if you didn't have air supremacy," then 2nd Lt. John Eisenhower told his father. "Without air supremacy," the elder Eisenhower replied, "I

  • Teamwork, technology allows Kandahar C-130J AE crew to save a life

    On the battlefield of northern Afghanistan in late March, an Air Force combat controller was shot by the enemy through the right thigh, opening up a large wound and fracturing his femur. The Airman was rushed to a hospital at Mazar-e Sharif, where he was operated on in an effort to save his leg and

  • 'Every dollar counts' ushers in new savings culture

    With budgets shrinking, Air Force leaders are calling on Airmen to share their best money-saving ideas through the Every Dollar Counts campaign.In the wake of sequestration, the initiative marks a cultural shift that empowers Airmen to find and recommend areas for savings that may be used to support

  • SecAF discusses $114.1 billion budget proposal

    The Air Force's top civilian leader today presented his service's fiscal 2014 $114.1 billion baseline budget request to Congress and shared some of the fiscal challenges the Air Force has faced."As with all budgets, our FY (2014) request represents a snapshot in time," Secretary of the Air Force

  • Budget request provides for best Air Force possible, Welsh says

    The Air Force's $114.1 billion fiscal 2014 budget request will provide for the most capable airpower arm possible, the Air Force chief of staff said here today.Testifying with Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley, Gen. Mark A. Welsh III told the House Armed Services Committee his service's

  • Retired 'crew dogs' keep Norton's legacy alive

    Thanks to a group of retired Air Force C-141 "Crew Dogs," the legacy of Norton Air Force Base, lives on. Members of the 63rd and 445th Airlift Wings Veterans Group were instrumental in the recent opening of the Norton Air Force Base Museum, located in the former NCO club at the San Bernardino

  • AMC commander stresses importance of new tanker

    The commander of the Air Force's Air Mobility Command today stressed the high priority his service places on the KC-46A tanker aircraft program.Air Force Gen. Paul J. Selva discussed progress with the program and stressed its priority in a meeting with Defense Writers Group reporters.Air Force

  • FY 14 budget: Sequester puts key Air Force objectives at risk

    Upon release of the Air Force Fiscal Year 2014 budget here April 10, the services' senior leaders said the shadow of sequestration in 2013 and on-going fiscal uncertainty will affect critical programs and objectives for years to come.While Air Force officials have scrambled to minimize impacts on

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Crew chief keeps B-2s ready for long journeys

    (This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story)His hands are glazed from spatters of grease and oil. His uniform reeks of hydraulic fluid after working a 12-hour shift maintaining a B-2 Spirit.Airman

  • Nellis AFB pilots fly their first operational F-35 mission

    Two F-35A Lightning IIs assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron here conducted the aircraft's first operational flights from Nellis AFB. These historic flights came less than a month after the March 19 arrival ceremony for the aircraft, but members of the 57th Maintenance Group's