HomeNews

NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • 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

  • Operation 'Deep Freeze' wraps up for the season

    Following the arrival March 18 of SKIER 75 - the last LC-130 "Skibird" aircraft to depart the Operation Deep Freeze Joint Operating Area, the 2012-2013 ODF season completed another successful, yet challenging campaign.The Skibird's arrival at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam marks 55 years that

  • Deployed Airmen scramble to replace 200,000 gallon fuel bladder

    Like oxygen to the human body or sunlight to a tree, fuel is essential to an aircraft getting off the ground. The Airmen of the 380th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels flight worked together April 2 and 4 to replace a 200,000 gallon fuel bladder. "We have a crane come from the Civil

  • Air Force graduates first RPA armament course

    Five Airmen from the 363rd Training Squadron graduated from the Air Force's first Remotely-Piloted Aircraft armament apprentice course during a graduation ceremony here April 8.Prior to the RPA armament apprentice course coming on-line, Airmen who were headed to an RPA armament assignment received

  • Air Force Reserve celebrates 65 years of historic service

    President Harry S. Truman signed legislation on April 14, 1948, establishing the modern-day Air Force Reserve. The new organization reaffirmed the "Citizen Airmen" concept that reaches back to the Army Air Service reservists of the First World War. This came seven months after Truman established the

  • KC-46 progress on track

    The top acquisition priority in the Air Force - acquiring a new aerial refueling capability - is proceeding "on track," Maj. Gen. John Thompson, the program executive officer for Tankers, said.Two years and several key milestones after the contract was awarded, a great deal of progress has been

  • Air Combat Command stands down units due to budget cuts

    Air Force officials will begin to stand down active-duty combat units starting April 9 to ensure the remaining units supporting worldwide operations can maintain sufficient readiness through the remainder of the fiscal year.The stand down is the result of cuts to Air Combat Command's operations and

  • ANG Airmen rescue researcher from glacier

    Airmen with the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th, 211th and 212th Rescue Squadrons rescued a snowmobiler who fell 80 feet into a glacier crevasse April 4.According to the Associated Press, Tom Douglas, 41, of Fairbanks, landed unhurt on his feet on a ledge at Jarvis Glacier near Delta

  • Airman keeps squadron 'in the fight'

    When 26th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters scramble for a casualty evacuation mission, the environment they are flying into is unpredictableWhether the environment is hostile or not, they always prepare for the worst -- that's where Air Force Senior Airman Austin Stoker

  • First B-2 surpasses 7,000 flight hours

    Since the first B-2 Spirit arrived here in July 1996, its stealthiness and massive firepower have been used in missions around the world. During its latest mission April 1, the "Spirit of Florida" and its crew became the first B-2 to surpass 7,000 flight hours."This achievement is a testament to the

  • F-22 resumes normal flight operations

    The F-22 Raptor has resumed normal flight operations after modifications to aircrew life-support equipment were completed across the fleet, including the upper pressure garment and related hoses, valves and connectors. Completion of this task eliminates the need to restrict flight operations to

  • Historic 'Liftmaster' back on display

    One of McGuire's most storied aircraft is back on display after more than 40 months of restoration.A team of volunteers from various on- and off-base organizations helped restore the C-118A Liftmaster back to near-original condition.Members of 305th and 514th Air Mobility wings and 87th Air Base

  • A-10 fires its first laser-guided rocket

    The 40th Flight Test Squadron completed another first in February when an A-10 Thunderbolt II fired a guided rocket that impacted only inches away from its intended target.The 2.75 diameter, 35-pound, laser-guided rocket is known as the fixed-wing Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II. Before the

  • Guard rescue center completes 5,000th mission

    Members of the Alaska (11th Air Force) Rescue Coordination Center on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, completed their 5,000th mission (since July 1, 1994) March 27. During the 5,000th mission, the team coordinated the Alaska Air National Guard's successful recovery of a pilot who crashed a

  • AF leader reaffirms commitment to Asia-Pacific partners

    Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force, International Affairs, Heidi Grant, attended the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2013 at Langkawi Island, Malaysia, as part of ongoing efforts to build relationships in the Asia-Pacific region, March 24 through 28. The Deputy

  • Andrews communications Airmen have global mission

    He'll be the first to admit that his job is far from easy. Maintaining highly complex, state-of-the-art cyber systems operations equipment is something Senior Airman Joseph Cline finds amazingly difficult, but one that he says has global implications.Cline is a member of the 89th Communications

  • AF scientist earns DOD's top civilian award

    Dr. Boris Tomasic from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base was named a recipient of the 57th annual Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award.The highest honor given by the Secretary of Defense to career civilian

  • Luke AFB reaches millionth-hour milestone

    Translating a million hours into years equals 114 years and one month. Going that far back in time places a person in February of 1899.Luke Air Force Base reached an aircraft milestone March 13 when an F-16 Fighting Falcon took to the sky marking 1 million flying hours in this venerable jet at Luke

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Airman, Vietnam POW looks back

    (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.) Forty years have passed since the United States ended its involvement in the Vietnam War, and 40 years have passed since many of its sons who engaged in

  • PACAF, Japan Airmen conduct ISR exchange

    Pacific Air Forces' Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Airmen visited their Japanese counterparts at Naha and Kadena Air Base, Japan March 11 to 13 to find new ways to enhance ISR bilateral cooperation between the U.S. Air Force and the Koku-jieitai, or Japan Air Self Defense Force.

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Deployed Airman draws inspiration from desert canvas

    (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.) Some might see the desert as brown, dusty and generally void of life. But while they may fail to see much color in the desert skyline, one maintenance

  • CENTCOM-area troops get commercial tickets for R&R flights

    Beginning in April, service members and others serving overseas in U.S. Central Command's area of operations will be issued commercial airline tickets to travel to their rest and recuperation leave destination, officials said. Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., CENTCOM's overseas AOR encompasses a region

  • 'Geek Squad' saves AF millions

    As budget cuts affect the quality of life in the Air Force, military personnel are adapting to changes from the government's financial trouble.A group of Airmen from the 20th Maintenance Group Air Force Repair Enhancement Program, or also known as the "base geek squad," are doing their part to bring

  • Joint Task Force builds skills, ties with RAF at unique exercise

    Units deploying to U.S. Transportation Command's Eagle Flag exercise here can expect to encounter austere field conditions, heated interaction with role players acting as difficult locals, and lots and lots of cargo. But when air mobility specialists from the British Royal air force arrived to

  • AF to implement force structure changes

    The Air Force released its plan Mar. 28 to implement force structure changes mandated by the Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act. The bill authorized the service to complete actions approved in previous years, such as aircraft retirements, and directed execution of

  • Pacific Air Forces commander thanks Airmen as Cope Tiger 13 concludes

    The commander of Pacific Air Forces met with Airmen from the U.S., Thailand and Republic of Singapore as they joined forces one last time on the flight line during the closing ceremony for Cope Tiger 13 here March 21. "I want to personally thank you for all that you've done. What you've accomplished

  • Improvements extend C-5 life

    Using Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century, Airmen here improved the reliability and life expectancy of the C-5M Super Galaxy.AFSO21 is the Air Force's dedicated effort to maximize value and minimize waste in all of our processes. "We identified the whole process with our Dewars

  • Boots Blesse flies west

     An Air Force legend was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery March 22, officially "flying west."Retired Maj. Gen. Frederick "Boots" Blesse, a double ace pilot, passed away Oct. 31, 2012. He retired from the Air Force April 1, 1975, and into his final days, the Air Force was a consistent part

  • Night vision training increases Afghan AF capabilities

    NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan air advisors reached an important milestone in the Combined Strategic Flight Plan with the inclusion of nighttime operational capabilities as part of flight training for the Afghan Air Force. Night vision goggle training is one part of an extensive curriculum

  • Congress reviews reserve forces equipment needs

    Senior Army and Air Force leaders for the Reserve and National Guard were on Capitol Hill to testify March 19 and answer questions about updating and replacing their combat-worn equipment.Chairman Michael Turner, R-Ohio, and Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., led the hearing at the House Armed Services

  • Deployed weather Airmen keep birds out of stormy conditions

    Many may not think much of rain, fog or mostly sunny days here, but to a base that conducts 30 percent of U.S. Air Forces Central Command's air tasking order sorties, weather monitoring is no simple matter. The 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Weather Flight conducts around-the-clock

  • DOD requires more base closings, official says

    The Defense Department possesses more real estate than it needs and is looking to close additional bases and installations in the United States and abroad, a senior DOD official told a House panel March 14.Air Force leaders agree, according to Kathleen I. Ferguson, acting assistant secretary of the

  • Congress reviews reserve forces equipment needs

    Lt. Gen. James F. Jackson, chief of Air Force Reserve, joined other Reserve and National Guard senior leaders on Capitol Hill March 19 to testify and answer questions.The Air Force and Army reserve component flag officers went before the House Armed Services Committee's Tactical Air and Land Forces

  • Airmen, Japanese remember the past, honor the present

    Airmen from Yokota Air Base, Japan, joined local Japanese citizens March 20 here, to remember American B-29 Superfortress flight crews who lost their lives during a World War II raid over the city and unveil a memorial monument in their honor. Since 1971, service members stationed here have traveled

  • Science fair leads to first and only woman as SecAF

    In a field dominated by boys, especially during the mid 1950's, a young high school junior in Tacoma, Wash., was determined to win her local science fair. Borrowing a small piece of uranium from her uncle, who worked for a mining company, the student created a model of atoms and set up a display to

  • Joint STARS improves warfighter communication

    Joint STARS recently became the first Air Force airborne system to fully retrofit new terminals that will improve warfighter communication.The Joint STARS Communications and Network Upgrade program successfully installed, tested and fielded the first of its Multifunctional Information Distribution

  • First international student pilot flies F-35

    The first international student aviator at the 33rd Fighter Wing, training to be an F-35B Lightning II instructor pilot, completed his first sortie in the joint strike fighter here March 19.United Kingdom Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Frankie Buchler flew with Marine Fighter Attack Training

  • Maintainers adapt to high ops tempo, keep Falcons flying

    The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a versatile multi-role fighter aircraft that has been proven to be effective in a variety of combat scenarios. The F-16 squadron here has been carrying out missions in Afghanistan for years now all due to the hard work and tireless hours of the maintainers ensuring the

  • Nellis accepts delivery of F-35 with ceremony

    In the Thunderbird Hangar filled to capacity, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Lofgren, U.S. Air Force Warfare Center commander, formally accepted delivery of three F-35A Lightning IIs March 19.The aircraft will be assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron where they will undergo operational

  • Bombers show U.S. resolve to defend South Korea, spokesman says

    It isn't just American capabilities in South Korea that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has to consider -- capabilities based outside South Korea also figure in the strategic calculus, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.In a meeting with reporters, Little said B-52 Stratofortresses

  • Edwards AFB Airmen begin F-35 operational testing

    The F-35 Lightning II program here entered a new phase of testing with the arrival of the first two operational test aircraft March 6. Team members from the 53rd Wing's 31st Test and Evaluation Squadron, a tenant unit here, will determine how to best tactically operate the F-35A conventional takeoff

  • Nellis pilot first reservist to fly F-35

    A reservist from the 706th Fighter Squadron here recently became the first to fly the F-35 Lightning II, Air Force's newest aircraft.Maj. Joseph Scholtz is an operational test pilot integrated into the active duty Air Force's 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron, and currently Nellis AFB's only

  • One success inspires the next for today's women leaders

    "Things done are won; joy's soul is in the doing." This quote from one of Shakespeare's most ambiguous plays, Troilus and Cressida, appears to be the constant theme behind the careers of many of the Air Force's most accomplished women. Whether it was The Honorable Sheila E. Widnall, the 18th

  • Fly-By-Wire F-15SA makes first flight

    The U.S. Air Force and its prime contractor Boeing have completed a successful first flight of the new F-15SA advanced fighter aircraft for the Royal Saudi Air Force. The F-15SA's maiden voyage took place Feb. 20  at the Boeing facilities in St. Louis. The flight went as planned, meeting all test

  • Same mission, new name for E-11A unit at Kandahar Airfield

    The 451st Tactical Airborne Gateway, the unit here that flies the E-11A, was designated as a squadron during a ceremony on March 13. It is now the 430th Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron. The mission of the E-11A is to serve as a Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, a communications

  • Young girl's love of flying leads to history-making missions in space

    As a young child, Eileen Collins loved to sit with her dad in the family car and watch airplanes take off and land. The roar of the powerful engines and the grace of the aircraft as they seemed to float in the air always held excitement and enchantment for the young daughter of Irish immigrants.That

  • ISR warriors raise bar at Red Flag

    Armed with some of the military's latest technologies and defined objectives in mind, Airmen in the intelligence career field begin to process, exploit and disseminate intelligence to an extent and level never achieved before. They do this as part of a continuing campaign that prepares fighters for

  • Flight nurses revolutionize military medical care

    Before World War II, the U.S. military showed little interest in using aircraft and flight nurses to evacuate wounded soldiers to rear areas. The global war, however, forced the U.S. Army Air Forces to revolutionize military medical care through the development of air evacuation (later known as

  • F-35 production on track, program chief says

    The F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program is a different program than it was four years ago, the F-35 program executive officer said here March 12.In a speech at the McAleese/Credit Suisse Defense Programs Conference at the Newseum, Lt. Gen. Christopher C. Bogdan told attendees that he and

  • AF to retain additional intratheater airlift aircraft through fiscal 2014

    The Air Force announced it will retain additional airlift aircraft through fiscal 2014 in response to a congressional mandate to retain an inventory of 358 intratheater airlift aircraft.The Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act signed into law Jan. 3, 2013, included language directing

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: AF firefighter is part of the family

    (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.)"If something happens and you're in a fire, it doesn't matter who's next to you, as long as you can trust they can get you out," said Airman 1st Class

  • Oldest U.S. military flying unit celebrates centennial

    The 1st Reconnaissance Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., celebrated its 100th anniversary March 7-9 as the oldest flying unit in U.S. military aviation.The squadron opened its doors to the base populace and special guests for tours, and two days of historical symposiums were held featuring

  • Medical Airmen move wounded warriors, provide closure

    Usually when a wounded Airman, Soldier, Sailor or Marine or Airman leaves the combat theater, they leave on a stretcher, surrounded by the beeps and hum of machines reading and reporting vital signs. Sometimes they are conscious, but all too often they are not -- suddenly waking in a hospital

  • Two AF nurses heroes of 'Operation Babylift'

    No matter how far women were kept away from combat roles, they were never far from harm and the opportunity to rise above and beyond the call of duty.An explosion blew out a pressure door of a C-5A Galaxy as it took off from Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, April 4, 1975, forcing it to make an

  • Cope Tiger 13 commences in Thailand

    Combined forces from the U.S. Air Force, Royal Thai air force and Republic of Singapore air force joined forces today to execute Cope Tiger 13 here March 10.The annual field training exercise, comprised of aviation and ground units, is designed to enhance interoperability and relations amongst each

  • Exercise brings joint team together for 'demanding' mission

    Hundreds of total-force Airmen and nearly 20 aircraft participated in a Joint Operation Access Exercise alongside U.S. Army Soldiers and Canadian Forces service members at Pope Air Field, N.C., Feb. 22 through March 1.The JOAX prepared air mobility forces along with Army and Canadian paratroopers,

  • Betty 'Tack' Blake: Only surviving member of 1st WASP class

    Last year, a young female pilot recently showed her 91-year-old guest the F-16 Fighting Falcon she flies at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. She thanked Betty "Tack" Blake several times as she talked about her job, so Blake finally asked the young captain why she was thanking her."Because you started it,"

  • Nellis pilots take first step toward F-35 operational testing

    Two officers from the operational test community are among the six pilots in the first F-35 Lightning II pilot training course after an Air Education and Training Command decision to start training here in January.Lt. Col. Benjamin Bishop, the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron director of

  • F-35 Lightning IIs arrive at Nellis AFB

    The F-35 Lightning II is one of the newest aircraft about to enter the Air Force inventory. The F-35 is designed to be an affordable strike option that will be used throughout the Defense Department and by its allies.The jet is currently still being flight tested at Edwards Air Force Base,

  • Air Commandos remember STRAY 59

    No matter how painful it is to remember or how easy it is to forget, one special operations squadron makes it a priority each year to remember its heritage and to honor those before its members now who paid the ultimate sacrifice. As an annual salute to their fallen comrades, a crew from the 1st

  • Airmen build key Africa partnerships

    Eight U.S. Air Force members of the 818th Mobility Support Advisory Squadron recently deployed to Cameroon to take part in Central Accord 13, February 20 - March 1. The mission of the 621st Contingency Response Wing, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.-based air advisors took them to the

  • Hazel Ying Lee: Showcased Asian-American involvement in war effort

    The Asian and Pacific island influence for the Air Force began during the early days of World War II when Chinese-American women were recruited to serve in the "Air WACs," a special unit within the Army Air Corps where Asian-American women served in jobs that ranged from aerial photo interpretation,

  • Service chiefs ask congress for fiscal help

    The senior officers from the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps asked Congress March 5 for more spending flexibility so they can maintain military readiness as the sequester's across-the-board budget cuts take effect.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Army Chief of Staff Gen.

  • Innovative teaching idea saves Air Force $1.1 million

    An idea by the 982nd Training Group to make formal military instructor training available at field training detachments has saved the Air Force more than $1.1 million in temporary duty expenditures so far in fiscal year 2013.The FTD version of the Principles of Instruction course, or POI, was

  • F-35s cleared to resume flight

    F-35 Lightning IIs were cleared for flight Feb. 28 following a temporary suspension after a cracked engine blade was found in a test aircraft earlier in the month. A .06-inch crack was discovered in a third-stage turbine blade in a test aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Feb. 19.

  • Airmen adapt aerial port procedures to be more effective, efficient

    The 451st Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron members recently re-evaluated their processes and procedures and decided it was time to fine tune the way they operate and move cargo here.Maj. Philip Shields, the former 451st ELRS Aerial Port Flight commander and Senior Master Sgt. Daniel Spain,

  • President nominates 1st female Air Force Academy superintendent

    The president of the United States nominated Maj. Gen. Michelle Johnson for the appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment to serve as Air Force Academy's 19th superintendent. If confirmed by the Senate, Johnson would become the first woman to hold the position.Currently

  • Two women, different backgrounds, one goal

    Two women, from opposite economic, social and cultural backgrounds, earned common ground during the early days of World War II and set a path in aviation that would steamroll into women's boundless roles today. Jacqueline Cochran was born in 1906 in a cotton-fields-and-sawmill small town in western

  • Pentagon lifts F-35 grounding following inspections

    The Defense Department lifted its grounding of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter after analysis concluded that a cracked turbine blade in an engine on a single plane resulted from overuse in test operations, according to an official with the F-35 Joint Program Office.In an email statement,

  • AF personnel chief: 'sequestration sends wrong signal to workforce'

    The Air Force's top personnel chief testified to Congress on the impact to military end strength in a budget constrained environment on Capitol Hill Feb. 27 during a House Armed Services Subcommittee military personnel hearing.Lt. Gen. Darrell D. Jones, the Air Force deputy chief of staff for

  • AF leaders warn of sequester impacts on replacing an aging fleet

    Two senior Air Force leaders here this week warned of the impacts sequestration and a continuing resolution will have on the service's acquisitions and programs. Lt. Gens. Michael Moeller, the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and programs, and Charles Davis, the military deputy, office of

  • Pacific Air Forces wins highest AF safety award

    Pacific Air Forces earned the Secretary of the Air Force Safety Award, Feb. 12, recognizing the most effective safety program in the Air Force for fiscal 2012. "Receiving this top safety award is a testament to our professional Airmen, both on and off duty," said Lt. Gen. Stanley Kresge, the PACAF

  • Original part from B-17F Memphis Belle® returns home

    Young Airman Ralph Barrett had no idea what that strange looking part he had found in Memphis was, but it looked interesting so he picked it up and decided to hang onto it.The part eventually made it to his tool box at home and remained there unseen for more than 40 years. But according to Barrett,

  • Series showcases daily examples of women's accomplishments

    On Friday, March 1, we begin a month-long recognition of women's contributions to our Air Force, putting a blue perspective to the 2013 National Women's Project theme of "women inspiring innovation through imagination." The 31-day www.af.mil series will showcase a profile each day of a woman or

  • AF awards light air support aircraft contract

    The Air Force today awarded a $427,459,708.00 contract to Sierra Nevada Corp. to provide light air support aircraft and associated maintenance and training for the Afghan air force.Under this contract, 20 aircraft are scheduled to be delivered to operational air bases in Afghanistan beginning in the

  • CSAF discusses impact of sequester

    America's military superiority is founded on training and readiness, and the fiscal crisis facing the country threatens to strip away that edge, members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress Feb. 26.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, along with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray

  • Maintainers turn packing into profession

    Regardless of where you go throughout your military career, your equipment will follow.An elite group of Airmen are charged with ensuring that same equipment reaches its destination safely."Packing aircraft and vehicles safely and sensibly is extremely important and sometimes a bit time consuming,"

  • Yeager brings 'Right Stuff' to symposium

    The first person ever to travel faster than the speed of sound didn't know anything about airplanes when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in September 1941. But retired Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager did have a knack for fixing machines and a willingness to do whatever his duty required of him and to take

  • Academy glider instructor named most active in nation

    For Mark Matticola, a civilian soaring instructor pilot assigned to the 94th Flying Training Squadron, being recognized as the most active glider instructor in the nation by the Soaring Society of America was easy. "I get paid to do my hobby every day," said Matticola, who was recognized earlier

  • Transit Center maintainers keep C-17s mission-ready

    When two out of four of the Transit Center at Manas' mission pillars rely on the C-17 Globemaster III, it's important those aircraft are ready to fly. The Airmen assigned to the 728th Air Mobility Squadron Operating Location-Alpha are responsible for maintenance of the C-17, ensuring the aircraft

  • CSAF, CMSAF kickoff AFA Orlando, leave few dry eyes

    Two senior Air Force leaders addressed more than 500 people at the Air Force Association's 29th Air Warfare Symposium & Technology Exposition here Feb. 21, 2013.Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark. A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody took to the stage with several points to

  • Air Force units help recover diverted Navy aircraft

    Airmen from units deployed in support of Cope North 13 transported an R-11 refueling truck on a C-130 Hercules aircraft from here to Rota Island Feb. 13, to recover a Navy F/A-18 Hornet that diverted there due to weather a day prior.With the combined effort of Airmen from the 374th Aircraft

  • Cadets work to decrease bird strikes

    A group of U.S. Air Force Academy cadets is working to put a dent in bird strikes that are  directly linked to the deaths of 250 people in 25 years and the cause of more than $700 million in damage to military-owned aircraft annually. "The impetus behind this capstone course is the devastating cost