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U.S. Air Force News

  • 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.

  • A-10s land on highway in Estonia

    Eight Air Force Reserve Command A-10 Thunderbolt IIs conducted highway landings on the Jägala-Käravete Highway in Northern Estonia Aug 1.

  • Flat Stanleys deploy from McConnell

    It was early in the morning when they got the call to deploy. Once aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker, they began their 8,000-mile expedition. It was 110 degrees when they landed in the hot and dusty country, and their journey had only just begun, the aircrew said. The paper dolls, also known as Flat

  • Airman trains to be better in the long run

    Staff Sgt. Benjamin Glenn is a 352nd Special Operations Maintenance Squadron CV-22 Osprey crew chief and a dedicated runner. He’s running half and full marathons in elite-level times, and the Air Force Special Operations Command chose him to represent the command in this year’s Air Force Marathon in

  • Compass Call receives navigation upgrade

    Since it became operational, the EC-130H Compass Call has demonstrated its electronic combat power in tactical air operations around the world, and this year the aircraft has achieved another first. The aircraft has received an avionic viability program upgrade to make it more effective in combat

  • AF duo key to Army medical aid in Honduras

    Medical readiness training exercises, military partnership engagements and mobile surgical team deployments have been the backbone of Joint Task Force-Bravo’s humanitarian mission in Central America for the past 23 years and have touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, built partner

  • Beale Airman recognized for heroic act

    An Airman from Beale Air Force Base, California, was awarded the Airman’s Medal July 29 for his heroic actions in saving the life of a fellow Airman.

  • Around the Air Force: Aug. 2

    On this look around the Air Force, the F-35A Lightning II becomes combat ready; Airmen at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, revamp a C-130H Hercules for fighting wildfires; and the Air Force selects the 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year. Hosted by SSgt Traci Keller.

  • James tours McConnell, mentors Airmen

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James visited McConnell Air Force Base July 28-29 to spend time with Airmen and better understand the missions here.

  • AF declares the F-35A ‘combat ready’

    The F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation fighter aircraft was declared ‘combat ready’ by Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the commander of Air Combat Command, Aug 2.

  • MTIs and cadet cadre form partnership

    A group of military training instructors from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, joined cadet cadre in Jacks Valley, Colorado, toward the end of July as part of an Air Education and Training Command and U.S. Air Force Academy training partnership.

  • A honey of a mission: Airmen help save, relocate 25,000 bees

    Earlier this month, Malmstrom Air Force Base encountered a wildlife phenomenon, and through perseverance and understanding, handled what could have been a sticky situation in the most natural way possible. Airmen utilized quick thinking and humane treatment to save the lives of approximately 25,000

  • Fighting terror with diversity

    In the 711th Human Performance Wing and across the Air Force, Airmen are encouraged to bring everything they have to the fight. Capt. Patrick Mudimbi, an environmental health consultant for the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, has some unique weapons in his arsenal -- he’s from the

  • F-35A program continues to make improvements

    Airmen of the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, have been preparing the F-35A Lightning II for combat readiness since the first operational aircraft was received in September 2015.

  • AF maintenance squadron prepares C-130 for US Forest Service

    What started out as an aircraft used by the Coast Guard and later maintained by Airmen will soon end up in the hands of the U.S. Forest Service. A C-130H Hercules that has been revamped by the 560th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron is in its final stages of programmed depot maintenance at Robins Air

  • Around the Air Force: July 29

    In this look around the Air Force, an amputee Air Force pilot gets back into the cockpit, Airmen are given the opportunity to retrain into special operations without risking their current Air Force specialty code, and the Air Force secretary honors the Air Force's longest serving civilian.

  • 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.

  • Unique C-5 completes major inspection

    During the past two months, a C-5M Space Cargo Modified (SCM) Super Galaxy underwent a major isochronal inspection inside an ISO dock at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. This C-5M SCM, originally a C-5A model assigned to Travis AFB, California, was modified into a C-5C model, one of only two such

  • Around the Air Force: July 26

    On this look around the Air Force the chief of staff of the Air Force and chief master sergeant of the Air Force address basic allowance for housing concerns, Airmen partner with Kenyans to provide aid, and weapons loaders load missiles internally and externally on an F-35A Lightning II.

  • Policy changes allow Airmen to retrain into special ops

    In a move to meet the high demand for battlefield Airmen, the Air Force announced changes to retraining and cross-flow, outlined in a policy memorandum from April. The changes allow Airmen to be released from their current jobs in the Air Force to cross-train into the special tactics career fields,

  • Journey to recovery

    Then-Tech. Sgt. Janet Lemmons realized she couldn’t breathe in the hospital room. It was as if there wasn’t enough space for her family’s grief and the air collectively. She had to get out.

  • Professional bad guys: Space aggressors prepare Airmen for the enemy

    Walking out to an F-16 Fighting Falcon, Staff Sgt. Erick Vega is told upon landing that the pilot experienced loss of GPS. An hour passes before Vega, an avionics specialist from Aviano Air Base, Italy, determines that adversaries have degraded the system through an attack on space assets.

  • WWII veteran retires after 70 years of military, civil service

    This September, Anthony “Tony” Duno will celebrate his retirement from the Air Force after 70 years of service, making him the longest serving civilian in Air Force history. Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James recognized Duno’s accomplishments during a ceremony at the Pentagon in

  • U-2 returns to Red Flag

    The 9th Reconnaissance Wing is taking part in Red Flag 16-3, which is nothing new, as the wing regularly supports Red Flag exercises. What makes this Red Flag different is they are operating from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and not from their home station of Beale AFB, California.

  • Blue Flag exercise marks 40th Anniversary

    Airmen from 505th Combat Training Squadron are the creators and controllers of a live, virtual and constructive world that takes air operation centers and Air Force forces staff through a quest to sharpen their skills at planning, executing and controlling war and relief operation scenarios. The

  • Weather team award honors legacy of fallen Airman

    To honor the legacy and devotion of a fallen brother-in-arms, an award was dedicated to the life of Lt. Col. William Schroeder and given to a Special Operations Weather Team training pipeline graduate here July 21.

  • New commander takes charge of AFCENT

    Lt. Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian assumed command of U.S. Air Forces Central Command from Lt. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. during a ceremony at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, July 22.

  • National security requires modernized nuclear deterrence

    The Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration stressed the importance of nuclear deterrence and the need for nuclear modernization July 21 at an Air Force Association breakfast at the Key Bridge Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Virginia.

  • Amputee regains wings

    An HC-130J Combat King II pilot at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, became the sixth amputee and the first female amputee to return to the cockpit. After an above-the-knee amputation and nearly 15 months of rehabilitation -- learning to walk, run and fly again -- Air Force Capt. Christy Wise, a 71st

  • STRATCOM deputy commander receives fourth star

    Air Force Gen. Stephen W. Wilson, the U.S. Strategic Command deputy commander, received his fourth star July 22 during a promotion ceremony at the parade field on Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

  • Around the Air Force: July 22

    In this look around the Air Force, the Pentagon releases a statement on Airmen in Turkey; air controllers from Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, have a plan that could save the Air Force millions; and the Air Force Special Operations Command gets a new commander.

  • Webb takes command of AFSOC

    Lt. Gen. Brad Webb assumed command of Air Force Special Operations Command in a ceremony July 19 at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

  • Airmen practice rescuing downed pilots in Pacific Thunder 16-2

    Units from the U.S. Pacific Air Forces practiced rescuing downed pilots during exercise Pacific Thunder 16-2 in South Korea. The two-week training event combines U.S. and South Korean forces to enhance interoperability for combat search and rescue missions across the Korean Peninsula.

  • 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.

  • Airman selected to attend culinary forum for top US military chefs

    Airman 1st Class Alexandra Ayub, a 90th Force Support Squadron missile chef, won the Arthur J. Myers Food Service Excellence Award for the Western Hemisphere earlier this year. As a result, she’s now been selected to represent the Air Force at the Armed Forces Forum for Culinary Excellence at the

  • Goldfein hosts first town hall with CMSAF

    The Air Force’s top officer and enlisted leader hosted a town hall forum July 20 in the Boyd Auditorium at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. During the 70-minute forum, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody answered several questions from

  • 7,501 selected for promotion to technical sergeant

    The Air Force has selected 7,501 staff sergeants for promotion to technical sergeant of the 33,569 eligible. The overall selection rate was 22.35 percent, with an average selectee overall score of 380.67.

  • Retired Airman builds bonds, resilience with comedic veterans

    After 28 years of service, Maj. Darlean Basuedayva was selected for retirement during the 2011 U.S. Air Force reduction board. After nearly three decades immersed in military life, Basuedayva didn't know how to transition into the civilian lifestyle. She later met a group of fellow veterans in a

  • A-10s deploy to Slovakia for cross-border training

    The 122nd Fighter Wing, which flies the A-10 "Warthog" airframe, has deployed eight A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and approximately 140 Airmen in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve for a month-long combined training event, overseas, to Sliač Air Base, Slovakia.

  • Scott air ops center’s routing initiative could save millions

    Miranda Balentine, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and energy, is excited about Airman-powered innovation and believes one significant way forward in reducing the service’s aviation energy demands is through the ingenuity of Airmen.

  • Looking Glass flight broadens Airmen’s horizon

    Missileers from across the 20th Air Force recently accompanied their commander on the Airborne National Command Post as part of a “fly along” program to witness the national impact of their mission.

  • Quality assurance Airmen ensure cargo aircraft are mission ready

    Aircraft maintainers hold themselves to a high standard when performing their daily duties because they know one mistake could lead to devastating consequences. Kadena Air Base, Japan, is home to six different airframes and a partner unit that hosts two additional airframes for cargo functions, the

  • Around the Air Force: July 15

    In this look around the Air Force, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announces that 560 more U.S. troops are deploying to Iraq, U.S. and Malaysian Airmen take part in joint exercise Cope Taufan 16, and the Air Force provides an update on an MQ-9 Reaper crash from late 2015.

  • Love for the job fuels crew chief’s passion to fix jets

    Instead of the usual roar of F-16 Fighting Falcons preparing for another flight here, a soft, warm breeze skirting across the flightline carried the sound of tools clanking against metal. In the depths of a hangar, an Air Force crew chief worked diligently to solve the most recent maintenance

  • Saber Strike turns to medevac mission for C-17 aircrew

    After a C-17 Globemaster III aircrew from the 21st Airlift Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, California, took off June 10 for exercise Saber Strike 16, they ended up on a real-world emergency medical mission to help a fellow Airman.

  • 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.

  • EOD immersion serves as eye-opener

    Staff Sgt. Michael McNally, a 355th Maintenance Group scheduler, recently applied to retrain as an explosive ordnance disposal technician and attended a 10-day orientation with the EOD squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, to learn about the career field.

  • Air dominance and the critical role of fifth-generation fighters

    Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the Air Combat Command commander, discussed the importance of air superiority and the need to assure it by modernizing the combat air force during a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee in Washington, D.C., July 13.

  • Residency program serves military, civilian medical personnel

    The Family Medicine Residency Program brings together military and civilian medical personnel while building a partnership of collaboration and a well-rounded learning environment for program participants, which strengthens their abilities to take care of their patients.

  • Around the Air Force: July 12

    In this look around the Air Force, eight new bases are nominated as possible battlefield Airmen training bases, a new undershirt helps keep Airmen cool, and a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate makes the Olympic team.

  • Airman links deployed operators to human performance experts

    Many scientists and engineers go directly from school to laboratories and do not get the opportunity to work side by side with customers who use the products they create. For a behavioral scientist in the 711th Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, that’s not the case.

  • Detachment standardizes aeromedical qualification training for total force

    Airmen assigned to 31 aeromedical evacuation squadrons across the Air Force must complete vigorous training to provide lifesaving in-transit care on fixed-wing aircraft. The 375th Air Mobility Wing’s newest formal training unit, Detachment 4, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the

  • New era of airpower exhibited at world’s largest air show

    The newest additions to American airpower, the F-35 Lightning II A and B variants, as well as the F-22 Raptor and numerous legacy and special mission aircraft from U.S. forces were on display at the The 2016 Royal International Air Tattoo at Royal Air Force Fairford, England.

  • Airman vaults to spot on US Olympic team

    First Lt. Cale Simmons, who cleared the bar at 5.65 meters -- 18 feet, 6.4 inches -- in the men's pole vault finals, secured a spot on the U.S. Olympic team at the U.S. Olympic team track and field finals at Eugene, Oregon.

  • Around the Air Force: July 8

    In this look around the Air Force the first enlisted RQ-4 Global Hawk pilots have been selected for training, an MQ-9 Reaper crashed in northern Syria, and a C-17 Globemaster III was awarded the best static display at an air show in England.

  • Battlefield Airmen use science to beat the heat

    Heat-related illness is a critical factor when personnel are operating in extreme temperatures. Dr. Reginald O'Hara and his exercise physiology research team at the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are working to reduce that heat stress.

  • 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.

  • Little Rock Airman saves woman from drowning

    It was June 25, a normal Saturday of kayaking at the Ouachita River Whitewater Park in Malvern, Arkansas, for Senior Airman Colton Lien and his friends when they witnessed a woman fall out her inner tube into the middle of the river.

  • Around the Air Force: July 6

    In this look around the Air Force, an F-35A Lightning II makes a trans-Atlantic flight, an Airman runs 694 miles for post-traumatic stress disorder awareness, and the Minnesota Air National Guard deploys to South Korea.

  • Ramstein wife earns spouse of the year award

    Giving back to the local community is one of the duties that come along with service to one's country. There are some people, like Nicole Bridge, who don’t wear the uniform, but give back in an equally large way. Bridge was recently awarded the 2016 Joan Orr Air Force Spouse of the Year award.

  • Two missions, one fight

    The 737th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron and the 386th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron have two different missions, yet work together every day to ensure the single mission of the C-130 Hercules can equip and prepare our forces to stay in the fight another day.

  • July issue of Airman magazine now available

    The July issue of Airman magazine is now available to download and is viewable through a web browser. In the cover story, titled “Arctic Vigil,” you’ll go behind the scenes with the 176th Air Defense Squadron and the Combat Alert Cell of F-22 Raptors that monitor the sovereign airspace around Alaska

  • Visualizing threats: A decade of threat modeling

    Dynamic explosions, missile launches and air-to-air dogfights are just a few animations the National Air and Space Intelligence Center threat visualization team create to help communicate potential threats in the world.

  • Goldfein swears in as 21st CSAF

    Gen. David L. Goldfein was sworn in as the Air Force’s 21st chief of staff by Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James during a ceremony at the Pentagon on July 1.

  • Legislative liaisons enhance mobility relationships, future

    During an election year, many service members are extra cautious about any political affiliations. While this is important, Airmen have the right to reach out to their congressional representatives. Some Airmen even work directly with the politicians.

  • Combined JTF-Operation Inherent Resolve releases strike video

    Coalition strikes on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant fighters fleeing in a convoy near Habbaniyah, Iraq, were recently conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria and the wider international

  • Coalition leader talks airpower effects

    The head of U.S. Air Forces Central Command took time June 28 to discuss the impact airpower has had in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and throughout Southwest Asia during a visit with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing.

  • 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.

  • Small team ensures special tactics career fields grow with the best

    Special tactics career field training pipelines are some of the most physically and psychologically challenging in the Air Force. To ensure the correct individuals are on the battlefield, the Recruitment, Assessment and Selection team at Hurlburt Field, Florida, puts the cross-training candidates

  • Air Force Junior ROTC partners up with AFA for StellarXplorer competition

    The Air Force Association is striving to increase participation in its third annual StellarXplorers competition this year by teaming up with the Air Force Junior ROTC headquarters. The new partnership will introduce the event to almost four times as many students compared to previous years.