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U.S. Air Force News

  • Airmen behind the scenes of Ironman 3

    Would it be the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat? This was the question on the minds of a select few members of the 916th Air Refueling Wing here as they waited in dark theaters this weekend to see if their faces graced the silver screen in "Iron Man 3," predicted to have the second largest

  • Afghan air university takes dynamic formal stride

    Taking one more step to becoming Ministry of Defense accredited, Afghan air force leaders at Pohantoon-e-Hawayee "Air University" signed six newly developed training decrees May 4 at Kabul International Airport here. The implementation of these decrees marks the first time the school had standard

  • SecAF approves captain's board cancellation

    First lieutenants will no longer meet a promotion central selection board to make captain, Air Force officials announced May 7.Effective immediately, the Secretary of the Air Force approved the elimination of the Captain's Central Selection Board.The Air Force is returning to the same promotion

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: Going for the Gold

    (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.)On July 5, 2011, Senior Airman Gideon L. Connelly was involved in a motorcycle accident in Baltimore County with serious damage to his left leg. The

  • 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

  • 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

  • Hagel to make furlough decision soon, press secretary says

    Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will make a decision soon on the scope of civilian furloughs in response to sequestration spending cuts, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said today.Hagel is reviewing analysis on the budget "and he'll reach a decision in the near future," Little told

  • 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

  • Total force readiness topic of Capitol Hill testimony

    Senior leaders from the active-duty Air Force, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve were on Capitol Hill here April 24th to discuss the impact of sequestration on Total Force readiness.In written and oral testimony, they reconfirmed the Air Force's commitment to serving America's long-term

  • First Lady announces certification plan for veteran jobs

    First Lady Michelle Obama today unveiled the new Information Technology Training and Certification Partnership to put thousands of service members to work with industry-recognized IT certifications in hand before they leave the military.Obama, who made the announcement at the White House Forum on

  • 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,

  • Academy cadets win NSA 'cyber defense' 2nd straight year

    The Air Force Academy Cyber Team won the National Security Agency's Cyber Defense Exercise, held April 16-18, for the second year in a row, outscoring teams from other military academies in the U.S. and Canada. The 13th annual inter-service Cyber Defense Exercise is a large-scale computer network

  • SecAF announces departure

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley has announced his plan to step down June 21 as the Air Force's top civilian after serving for nearly five years. "It's been an honor and a privilege to serve with our Air Force's great Airmen," Donley said. "Their accomplishments have been nothing short of

  • Senior leaders testify on health of personnel programs

    Air Force senior leaders, along with counterparts from each of the services, testified about the current state of military personnel programs before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee April 24.Daniel B. Ginsberg, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs and Lt. Gen.

  • 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

  • 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

  • Air Force, Italian medics simulate joint patient care

    Members of the 31st Medical Group at Aviano Air Base and the local Italian hospital in Pordenone, Italy, came together April 17 to discuss the results of the region's first international patient care simulation.The collaboration, which took place in early March, encompassed all levels of care needed

  • Nobel Laureate gives important decision-making tips

    Defense Department personnel pride themselves on their decision-making ability, but Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman believes there are ways to systematically improve and help remove biases from the process.Kahneman presented his opinions during the "New Ideas @ OSD" seminar in the Pentagon this

  • Airmen, EPA combine conservation efforts for Earth Day

     In commemoration of Earth Day, more than 150 volunteers participated in a coastal cleanup April 21 on Tarague Beach here.Earth Day is an international event that demonstrates the commitment and significant investment the United States and other countries have made toward environmental security.

  • USAFE commander confirmed for NATO/EUCOM command

    Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove will assume responsibilities as commander of U.S. European Command and as NATO's supreme allied commander for Europe during change-of-command ceremonies slated for mid-May, EUCOM officials reported.The Senate confirmed Breedlove's nomination for the post that Navy

  • New AF pregnancy website offers state-of-the-art support

    The Air Force Medical Service's Center of Excellence for Medical Multimedia, or CEMM, recently unveiled an educational and state-of-the-art website on pregnancy for Airmen and their families.The Pregnancy A to Z website, www.pregnancyatoz.org, is the CEMM's 12th educational website. The site

  • 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,

  • AF observes Sexual Assault Awareness Month

    At installations around the world Airmen are working together to increase awareness, prevent and care for the victims of sexual assault, with a variety of events underway in observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.From the commander in chief to the

  • 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.

  • Carter: DOD will prevail against uncertainty

    The Defense Department will prevail against both strategic and budgetary uncertainty, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter told members of the military community April 16.Carter spoke to service members and civilian employees during a visit to Scott Air Force Base, Ill. The base is home to U.S.

  • Science, technology remain critical, official says

    Despite fiscal uncertainty, science and technology remain critical elements in mitigating emerging threats against the United States, a Defense Department official told Congress yesterday.Alan Shaffer, the acting assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering, pledged to continue a

  • '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

  • 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

  • Space Command's ops chief discusses new warfighter role

    The Director of Air, Space and Cyberspace Operations for Air Force Space Command spoke at the Space Warfighters Luncheon April 9 during the 29th National Space Symposium held at the Broadmoor Resort, Colorado Springs, Colo.Maj. Gen. Jack Weinstein addressed a packed room of both military and

  • 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

  • Deployed Airmen bridge cultures with words

    Airmen and Soldiers give lessons in conversational English to Afghan students at the Korean Vocational Training Center here, as part of the effort to create a better future for coalition partners.Master Sgt. Dean Regazzi, 455th Expeditionary Medical Group first sergeant, coordinated the 51 American

  • Air Force restarts tuition assistance

    The Air Force has officially restarted military tuition assistance, effective immediately. The service restarted the program as a result of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013, where Congress called for the MTA program to continue in the current fiscal year. As a

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Cyber Airman-development strategically critical to the nation

    Cyber Airman development became the focus of discussion at Cyber 1.3 in Colorado Springs April 8, as Chief Master Sgt. Linus Jordan, command chief, Air Force Space Command, addressed space and cyber industry leaders at the conference prior to official opening of the 29th National Space

  • AF officials select new fire chief

    The Air Force has a new top firefighter.Jim Podolske has been named chief of Fire Emergency Services, a division of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Readiness Directorate here. As the Air Force fire chief, Podolske will manage a force of more than 9,200 military and civilian firefighters as

  • Strategic Command plans for unexpected, commander says

    The last thing Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler wants is to be caught by surprise.He is the point man for the U.S. nuclear arsenal as well as space, cyber, ballistic missile and other capabilities. As commander of U.S. Strategic Command, Kehler's job is to ensure U.S. deterrence remains so strong

  • Air Force Medical Service goes green and receives top energy award

    The Air Force Medical Service was awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star Partner of the Year award March 26, in Washington, D.C. for Air Force-wide efforts to reduce energy consumption in medical facilities by 10 percent, saving an estimated $3.3 million in taxpayer dollars.The

  • Nuclear deterrence remains key STRATCOM mission, commander says

    Twenty-five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and with the United States and Russia committed to deep cuts in their already-reduced nuclear arsenals, some might be tempted to think U.S. Strategic Command's most important mission is fading into the history books.Maintaining a credible nuclear

  • Reductions won't affect most TRICARE Prime beneficiaries

    Despite upcoming service area reductions, TRICARE Prime will remain a health care option for 97 percent of the more than 5 million beneficiaries eligible for the health care plan, Military Health System officials said.The 3 percent difference, which comprises about 171,000 beneficiaries who mostly

  • 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

  • CSAF, CMSAF visit Global Strike Command Airmen

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody and their spouses were at Barksdale Air Force Base April 2-3 to visit with Airmen and see the Air Force Global Strike Command mission firsthand.The visit included mission briefings, tours and meetings with

  • 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

  • CMSAF visits Aviano AB, tackles tough questions

    During his recent visit of Air Force bases in Europe, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody spent two days talking with Aviano Airmen, March 28 and 29, getting their viewpoints on some of the Air Force's biggest issues. In his second month since stepping into the service's highest

  • Through Airmen's Eyes: An immigrant's climb to the top

    For decades, America has been known around the world as a place of opportunity, a reputation that has drawn people from all corners of the world to inhabit there. It's this reputation that motivated a husband and wife to leave a former communist nation of Yugoslavia with their two boys in tow in

  • AF migrates civilian personnel records to OPM

    The Air Force has migrated Air Force employee electronic official personnel folders to the Office of Personnel Management eOPF version, Air Force Personnel Center officials said today.The eOPF is a secure, digitized version of a hardcopy personnel folder that contains official human resource records

  • Airman, wife make a difference

    When this Airman dons his uniform, he flies a C-17 Globemaster III on missions transporting supplies and Airmen to where duty calls. But when he takes his uniform off, he still finds ways to make a difference in the world. First Lt. Joey Brewer, 16th Airlift Squadron pilot, and his wife, Tori,

  • Space mission continues despite restructure

    Critical Air Force missions continue from their current locations after today's restructure of Air Force Space Command's Space Innovation and Development Center at Schriever AFB, Colo.The SIDC restructure and realignment of subordinate organizations is part of the Air Force response to meet future

  • 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

  • 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.

  • SecDef says furlough days reduced for civilians

    The Defense Department has revised from 22 to 14 the number of days hundreds of thousands of civilian employees could be furloughed this year because of the budget sequester, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced today.In addition, a senior Defense Department official speaking on background told

  • Seasoned diplomat gives tips about public affairs missions overseas

    Ambassador Ronald E. Neumann, president of the American Academy of Diplomacy, spoke to 120 faculty, staff and students on Monday at the Defense Information School.A combat-seasoned diplomat and a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Neumann spoke about the characteristics of an effective public

  • 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

  • Blue Horizons: War College students look at 2035

    Each spring, a select group of Air War College students meet for BOGSAT sessions and collaborate in "murder boards" to help Air Force leaders make decisions on how the service will adapt to technological changes in the next quarter of a century. For the past five years, Blue Horizons has

  • 17th CMSAF visits Ramstein AB

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody visited with Airmen here March 26 to share his vision of the Air Force.The 17th chief master sergeant of the Air Force visited leaders from numerous organizations here and coined 10 Airmen from different career fields for various achievements.Service

  • 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

  • 'A chief is a chief'

    With the growth of the women's movement evolving in the workplace in the 80s and 90s, military operations continued to see an increasing number of women climb the ranks of the armed forces. In the summer of 1990, while the U.S. moved men and women across the Atlantic in support of the Gulf War,

  • Air Force rabbi 'one of her kind'

    Minutes before sunset on Friday, she lowers her head and covers her face in prayer. Her hands are illuminated by the faint glow of the Shabbat candles, each flame representing and honoring a family member.As the week comes to a close, Capt. Sarah Schechter, the Jewish chaplain of the 11th Wing at

  • 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

  • Developmental education applications due April 12, May 1

    (EDITOR'S NOTE: The officer application suspense has been extended to April 12.)Eligible active duty officers and civilians are now able to apply for intermediate and senior developmental education opportunities, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced. Officer applications are due to AFPC

  • 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

  • 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

  • Developmental education application windows open

    Eligible active duty officers and civilians are now able to apply for intermediate and senior developmental education opportunities, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced. Officer applications are due to AFPC April 5, and civilian nominations are due May 1, said George McKey, AFPC officer

  • 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

  • Lessons from a pro: Invest for retirement now

    A member of the Air Force Civic Leader program and financial expert recently addressed several ways Airmen can prepare better for retirement.John O'Connor, the chairman of J.H. Whitney Investment Management, spoke about what Airmen can do now, in order to take away a substantial pension by the time

  • First Sergeant Academy embraces blended learning

    The U. S. Air Force First Sergeant Academy has transformed its curriculum from a traditional "brick-and-mortar" education experience to a mixture of facilitated distance learning and in-resident classroom time to teach future first sergeants. What was once a three-week in-residence course is now

  • Academy holds memorial service for first African-American graduate

    Charles V. Bush, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy's Class of 1963 and a Vietnam veteran, was laid to rest during a memorial service at the Academy March 16.Bush, also known as "BG-1" for being the Academy's first black graduate, died Nov. 5, 2012, at his home in Lolo, Mont.Friends and family

  • CMSAF discusses tuition assistance

    Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Cody took questions from Airmen here March 14, on the decision to suspend military tuition assistance. He also addressed how Airmen can continue to further their educational needs and what the future holds for the program next fiscal year, which begins

  • 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

  • Water resource management announced as focus of Air Force Earth Day 2013

    Each year Air Force installations around the world observe Earth Day on April 22 by taking actions to enhance sustainability and support the Air Force's Earth Day theme of "Conserve Today - Secure Tomorrow."This year, the Air Force is highlighting water resource management programs, including

  • 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

  • Medics share training with British Army

    Airmen shared U.S. methods for treating special combat injuries with British Army special forces during a combat medical refresher training here March 5 - 6.The training enabled Airmen from the 352nd Special Operations Support Squadron medical element and participants from the U.K.'s 19th Regiment

  • Air Force suspends military tuition assistance

    In the wake of sequestration, the Air Force officially suspended military tuition assistance March 11.Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley announced the Air Force has officially suspended military TA for the remainder of fiscal 2013. The program will continue to be evaluated to determine the

  • US, Philippine service members work together during PACANGEL

    A joint team of U.S. service members traveled to the Philippines to participate in Operation Pacific Angel March 4 through 11.Operation Pacific Angel is a U.S. Pacific Command humanitarian mission that sends primary care, dental, optometry and civil engineer experts to different countries each year

  • PACOM promotes regional cyber capabilities, defenses

    Two years ago, U.S. Pacific Command set out on a big experiment during its Terminal Fury exercise, subjecting participants for the first time to simulated cyber intrusions and network access denials, among other unexpected curve balls the exercise planners threw their way.PACOM's cyber cell, serving

  • 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,"

  • Airmen mentor cadets 8,000 miles a second

    The image was small, but the smiles were big as four deployed service members connected to a classroom full of Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets in North Carolina, more than 8,000 miles away.The cadets of Piedmont High School AFJROTC NC-955 in Monroe, N.C., video conferenced

  • Dempsey: Education provides foundation of democracy

    Describing himself as both a student and a teacher, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stressed the importance of education in remarks March 7, at the World Affairs Council of Washington, D.C.-hosted annual education gala.There's nothing more important in democracy than education," Army Gen.

  • 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

  • Afghan air force conducts air assault with Afghan special ops

    The Afghan air force's 379th Rotary Wing Squadron, which is advised by NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan, coordinated its first air assault mission with the Afghan National Army Special Operations Command Feb. 20.During the operation, 60 special operations commandos were inserted into a location

  • 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

  • AF announces OTS selection results

    A total of 247 men and women from across America have earned an opportunity to become Air Force leaders following their selection for an officer's commission, officials here announced today. Air Force Recruiting Service officials considered 417 applications as part of the Officer Training School

  • 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

  • Troop financial readiness important to force, official says

    "It's never too early to start saving for retirement no matter how young you are," said a top Pentagon official, reminding those in uniform of how important it is to act now to ensure long-term financial readiness.The message from Barbara Thompson, director of the Pentagon's office of Family

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Arlington museum showcases military women's contributions

    A living legacy to women who served in all branches of the U.S. military honors their service and sacrifice inside the Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.The museum in the memorial depicts the "duty, honor and pride" of the 2 million women who served to defend the United States, from

  • Task force established to close gaps between active, Guard, Reserve

    Air Force senior leaders recently constructed a task force to develop the best ways to bring the active, Reserve, and Guard closer together to achieve the most capable force possible. To meet the challenges of the future, the secretary and chief of staff of the Air Force directed the stand-up of the

  • 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

  • Vasilievskoe villagers take pride in newly renovated school

    Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990, the Vasilievskoe Kindergarten School sat empty for more than a decade. Since it reopened in 2003, the school house has been in need of extensive repairs. The Transit Center at Manas and the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek partnered with the Kyrgyz Republic

  • 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

  • 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