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  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Kunsan maintainers give F-16 new wings

    Airmen assigned to the 8th Maintenance Squadron and 8th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, are tasked to ensure one aircraft is ready to fly, fight and win with a simultaneous double-wing replacement.

  • Osan, local community remember Airman involved in recent fire rescue

    A memorial service to remember Staff Sgt. Cierra Rogers, a 731st Air Mobility Squadron Airman, took place at Osan Air Base, South Korea, on June 24. Military and civilian members of the Osan AB and Pyeongtaek community gathered alongside the Airman’s family to honor Rogers, a 731st Air Mobility

  • Minnesota guardsmen help secure skies above South Korea

    The Air National Guard is frequently called upon when U.S. Pacific Command needs additional assets to deliver rapid air capabilities in the Pacific region, and Airmen from the 148th Fighter Wing out of Duluth, Minnesota, are currently stepping up to that call.

  • Tuskegee Airman laid to rest

    The Air Force paid its final respects to former 2nd Lt. Malvin G. Whitfield, an Army Air Forces and Air Force veteran, at Arlington National Cemetery, June 8. Whitfield distinguished himself as the first U.S. military member to win Olympic gold medals while serving his country. Whitfield joined the

  • Father-son duo comes full circle at BMT graduation, retirement

    In the Air Force, countless parents have proudly watched their child graduate from basic military training, and countless children have seen their parents retire from service. On May 27 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, a father and son did both on the same day, respectively.

  • Around the Air Force: May 13

    This look around the Air Force takes us to a memorial for explosive ordnance disposal technicians at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; discusses the B-21 naming contest; and commemorates four decades of the U-2 in South Korea.

  • AF defenders, SKorea soldiers train to fend off opposing forces

    Defending the men and women of Osan Air Base is one challenge to the 51st Security Forces Squadron, but defending an entire country is quite another. To bring a force multiplier to the table, the 51st SFS defenders trained with South Korean army special operations forces during a training scenario

  • Airmen, Soldiers save lives in local fire near Osan AB

    Service members from the 51st and 8th Fighter Wings, and the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade stepped in to help four members of the community and an Airman escape from a building fire in the Songtan shopping district outside Osan Air Base, South Korea, April 29.

  • Around the Air Force: May 4

    This look around the Air Force takes us to South Korea, where Airmen helped rescue a mother and her children from a fire, and to Fort Bliss, Texas, where Airmen can try out for Ranger school.

  • Filipino-American Airmen return home while serving PACAF air contingent

    Asian-Pacific Americans have fought and served with the U.S. military for more than two centuries. The legacy continues for three Filipino-American Airmen deployed with U.S. Pacific Command’s air contingent at Clark Air Base, where they fulfill a number of roles ranging from medical support to

  • PACAF commander to senators: Homeland defense ‘sacred responsibility’

    Gen. Lori J. Robinson, who now commands Pacific Air Forces and is air component commander for U.S. Pacific Command, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, noting that the U.S. faces a rapidly evolving and growing threat environment in terms of the number of those who wish to harm the

  • Doolittle Raider raises toast 74 years after historic mission

    One of two surviving Doolittle Raiders visited Fairchild Air Force Base for a commemorative toast April 18 in honor of the 74th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. Former Staff Sgt. David Thatcher, who served in the Army Air Forces as a member of Flight Crew No. 7, was part of the air raid

  • PACAF Airmen stand up air contingent in Philippines

    Airmen assigned to the Pacific Air Forces stood up the first rotation of an air contingent at Clark Air Base, Philippines, April 16, following a joint announcement by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Philippine Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin in Manila that highlighted several initiatives aimed

  • Exercise Max Thunder 16 launches at Kunsan

    U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy personnel and aircraft will train with South Korean air force counterparts in the bilateral training exercise Max Thunder 16, at Kunsan Air Base April 15-29.

  • AF presents 2014, 2015 Sijan award winners

    Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III presented the 2014 and 2015 Lance P. Sijan Leadership Awards to eight Airmen in the Airman’s Hall on April 7 at the Pentagon.

  • Around the Air Force: April 5

    This look around the Air Force takes us to Baltimore where military family members arrived after departing Turkey. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announces the creation of the Operation Inherent Resolve campaign medal and the 148th Fighter Wing, from Duluth, Minnesota, prepares for a deployment to

  • F-16 crews soar in South Korean exercise

    F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from the 80th Fighter Squadron practiced combined flying operations March 28-31 alongside counterparts from the South Korean air force’s 19th Fighter Wing at Jungwon Air Base during Buddy Wing 16-3.

  • Deployed together: A tale of twin brothers

    Twin brothers often share similar experiences from birth to high school graduation. But only a few can claim to serve in a deployed unit at the same time. Senior Airman Emmanuel Taveras, an electrical and environmental journeyman, and his twin brother, Senior Airman Carlos Taveras, an aircraft

  • AFSVA on trend with mystery escape rooms

    Interactive, immersive escape rooms, such as Moriarty’s Parlor, are gaining popularity worldwide as entertainment and team-building experiences. The Air Force Services Activity is offering a choice of six room scenarios to 20 Air Force installations enterprise-wide as part of its Recharge for

  • Robinson tapped to be first female combatant commander

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter has named a new commander for U.S. Northern Command to be confirmed by the Senate. If confirmed, the new Northern Command chief will be the first woman to lead a U.S. combatant command.

  • Total force team moves the mission in defending South Korea

    In an effort to deter aggression, fighter aircraft routinely fly while troops on the ground mobilize and train to defend South Korea. However, there still lies another piece to the puzzle. That puzzle piece is none other than the 607th Air Mobility Division.

  • Airmen help Soldiers, South Korea military in joint training

    Osan Air Base, South Korea, was tested March 10, when South Korea and U.S. military branches banded together in a multi-service, multi-cultural, chemical detection and decontamination exercise scenario here during Beverly Midnight 16-01.

  • Resilience pays off on road to Air Force

    From being a young boy who could not speak a word of English to an Airman who instructs others on the effects altitude has on the human body, Senior Airman Jae Yu, of the 21st Aerospace Medicine Squadron, practiced resilience far before he ever joined the Air Force.

  • F-35 to touch down at air shows around the world

    Aviation and F-35A Lightning II fanatics have something special to look forward to this 2016 air show season. The Lightning II qualified March 6 at the Heritage Flight Conference at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, to take part in the Air Combat Command Air Force Heritage Flight program.

  • AF senior leaders brief State of the Air Force

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III discussed the State of the Air Force during a press conference at the Pentagon March 7.

  • State of AF: Modernizing for next offset strategy

    Budget plans are poised to keep the Air Force atop of its game, with a new bomber and advanced technology to help Airmen execute a future offset strategy, the head of the service announced at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium Feb. 26.

  • Buddy Wing 16-2 takes flight over Osan skies

    The 51st Fighter Wing hosted Buddy Wing 16-2 at Osan Air Base Feb. 22-25, showcasing Airmen from the 25th Fighter Squadron and Aircraft Maintenance Unit. South Korean air force pilots and maintainers from the 237th FS at Wonju Air Base, traveled to Osan AB in a continued effort to support the

  • F-22 Raptors conduct show of force over South Korea

    Four U.S. F-22 Raptors conducted a combined formation flight alongside South Korean F-15K Slam Eagles and U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons here to demonstrate the capabilities of both nations Feb. 17, in response to recent provocative actions by North Korea.

  • New runway opens, enhances readiness

    The Army Corps of Engineers, 51st Civil Engineer and 51st Operations Support Squadron completed a five-year project of constructing a new runway for Osan Air Base, South Korea, and began flying operations in January.

  • From World War II to Afghanistan: USO marks 75th anniversary

    The USO marked its 75th anniversary Feb. 4 at a gala in Washington, D.C. Medal of Honor recipients, USO volunteers, active-duty personnel, veterans, members of Congress, and stars of stage, screen and music gathered to mark a milestone for an organization founded as the United States geared up for

  • Buddy Wing showcases South Korea, US alliance

    U.S. Airmen from the 36th Fighter Squadron and Aircraft Maintenance Unit traveled to Seosan Air Base, South Korea, to participate in exercise Buddy Wing with South Korean air force personnel from the 121st Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Wing, from Jan. 25-29.

  • STRATCOM chief talks nuclear deterrence, modernization

    The global security environment calls for a continued strong nuclear deterrent along with modernization for elements of the nuclear triad and advanced training for U.S. Strategic Command’s workforce, the STRATCOM commander said Jan. 22 during a Washington, D.C., event.

  • A look back at Desert Storm, 25 years later

    Twenty-five years ago, the Air Force participated in Operation Desert Storm, the largest air campaign since the conflict in Southeast Asia. The campaign’s purpose was to drive the Iraqi military out of Kuwait, release the country from Saddam Hussein’s invasion and reestablish its sovereignty.

  • US conducts B-52 bomber overflight in South Korea after nuke test

    A U.S. B-52 Stratofortress from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, conducted a low-level flight in the vicinity of Osan Air Base, South Korea, in response to a recent nuclear test by North Korea, according to a U.S. Pacific Command news release issued Jan. 9.

  • Airman balances cycling with Air Guard mission

    With endurance cycling, nearly every part of the sport is tough; from the demands of distance and the quality of the competitors, to the changing natural elements on any given day. For Tech. Sgt. Dwayne Farr, those difficulties pale in comparison with splitting his time between the grind of bicycle

  • Explosive threats no match for Osan EOD

    Whether a faulty 9 mm pistol round or a pipe bomb meant to cause harm, there is one shop that holds the responsibility of disarming and disposing of these dangerous objects. With their extensive and rigorous training, the Airmen from the 51st Civil Engineer Squadron explosive ordnance disposal

  • Strengthening alliances with music

    The U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific performed at the 2015 Japan Self-Defense Force Marching Festival at the Nippon Budokan Arena in Tokyo Nov. 13-15.

  • PACAF hosts first visit of Korean cadets

    Pacific Air Forces hosted more than 70 Republic of Korea Air Force Academy cadets at its headquarters Nov. 10 for its first-ever visit by a ROKAFA cadet class.

  • Veterans in Blue: honoring those who served

    The Air Force maintains a special portrait display in the Pentagon as part of its commitment to honoring the devotion and service of veterans. Volume VI will replace volume V of the Veterans in Blue project this November.

  • Yokota enhances capabilities through exercise

    Members of the 374th Airlift Wing participated in exercise Vigilant Ace 16 from Nov. 1-10, in conjunction with a Samurai Readiness Inspection at Yokota Air Base. Vigilant Ace is a large-scale exercise on the Korean Peninsula designed to enhance the interoperability of U.S. and allied forces through

  • AF veteran survivor of three wars, plane crash

    Retired Lt. Col. Alma Skousen, a humble, soft-spoken 89-year-old fighter pilot, served his country during three wars, encountered Soviet MiG fighters in battle and survived a jet crash before ending his flying career as the 311th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, now known as the 311th Fighter

  • Airfield managers maintain flightline during Vigilant Ace 16

    During the readiness exercise Vigilant Ace 16, every participating aircraft requires a safe and functioning flightline in order to complete their mission-specific directives. Airmen assigned to the 51st Operations Support Squadron airfield management flight are responsible for ensuring the

  • Peterson Airman’s tragic loss exemplifies resiliency

    After getting orders to South Korea, Tech. Sgt. Billy Gazzaway was missing his family, as anyone would. Far away from them, he received the horrible news that his 4-year-old son, who had already been diagnosed, treated and was in remission for leukemia, had relapsed.

  • Ceremony recognizes POWs, MIAs

    On the Air Force's 68th anniversary, more than 100 Airmen attended a National POW/MIA Recognition Day event to hear a Soldier's story of sacrifice and endurance.

  • Carter: DOD must embrace future to remain best force

    Two days before the Air Force’s 68th birthday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Sept. 16, at the Air Force Association’s Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition 2015, that the military must embrace the future to remain the best force.The defense secretary said the gathering’s theme,

  • Suicide Prevention Month: How one person can make a difference

    Thoughts of suicide are not necessarily something people explicitly announce to the world, which means loved ones often have no idea that their friend or family member is contemplating it. But there are signs and risk factors, and while somebody might think they can’t make a difference by

  • Airmen experience multinational Red Flag-Alaska

    A 16-foot wooden table stretches between aircrew lockers and cabinets. A red toolbox sits at one end of the table. Helmets, oxygen masks and parachutes are within sight. The room is temporarily housing members with 374th Operations Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment for the duration of Red

  • Pilot chases Olympic dreams

    Capt. Daniel Castle, a 349th Air Refueling Squadron pilot, is one of five Airmen selected throughout the Air Force to participate in the World Class Athlete Program, which allows service members of all branches to train as their primary duty.

  • 63 years later: Columbus supports MIA ceremony

    Twenty honor guardsmen from Columbus Air Force Base and four T-38 Talons supported a missing in action ceremony Aug. 10 for a Mississippi Airman, exactly 63 years after his aircraft crashed.

  • Spencer reflects on 44-year career

    In the early 1970s, America was at a crossroads. The Vietnam War raged on, seemingly with no end in sight, and many Americans felt forced to choose to either support the administration or protest the conflict, which left many families across the nation bitterly divided.

  • Seymour Johnson Airman shines at inter-nation championship

    Her journey was full of unknowns. She was thousands of miles from home and in a very unfamiliar land. As foreign as she felt, there was one 7-foot wide circle that made her feel right at home.For Airman 1st Class Jessica Johnson, a 4th Aerospace Medicine Squadron public health technician, it was the

  • AF generals testify for their future positions

    Two Air Force generals testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee during their nomination hearing as the next U.S. Transportation Command commander and new vice chairman to the Joint Chiefs of Staff July 14.

  • US, South Korea pilots soar at Buddy Wing 15-6

    F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from the 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, practiced combined flying operations alongside counterparts from the South Korean air force’s 19th Fighter Wing at Jungwon AB during Buddy Wing 15-6, July 7-10.

  • Olympic hopeful takes 1st at top US 10K

    In the crisp air and with a stunning view of Colorado’s Front Range, Maj. Benjamin Payne was first to cross the finish line at this year’s Bolder Boulder 10K race. It was just one of many wins he hopes to achieve on his road to the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2016 in Los Angeles, but it

  • New program prepares Airmen, families to bounce back after deployments

    Air Force services recently added a new tool to encourage service members and their families who are affected by deployments to participate in morale, welfare, and recreation programs and activities. The “Recharge for Resiliency” (R4R) initiative was designed to help Airmen readjust to life at home

  • Kunsan hosts Buddy Wing 15-4

    The 8th Fighter Wing is hosting members from the South Korean air force's 123rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Wing at Seosan Air Base, South Korea, to participate in exercise Buddy Wing 15-4 here June 1-5.

  • Diamond in the rough: An Airman’s recovery from his haunted past

    Growing up, many of his childhood nights were spent staring through a gaping hole in his bedroom ceiling. He didn't know how it got there, but sometimes it served as a pleasant escape from the surrounding chaos. It gave access to the wide open Oklahoma sky and he positioned his mattress in the

  • Luke's 56th Fighter Wing has new mission

    Luke Air Force Base's 56th Fighter Wing conducted a change of mission ceremony May 21, formally including the F-35 Lightning II as part of the wing's new mission statement.

  • True Warrior: An Airman's fight

    The distant roar of hundreds of people hungry for action pulses through the compound, rumbling the stone walls of a dimly lit waiting room.Shoulders hunched, Tech. Sgt. Clinton Williams, a 52nd Component Maintenance Squadron engine manager and mixed martial artist, walks down a hallway, wearing a

  • Emerging from the fog: A story of loss, healing, new beginnings

    On the way to the hospital, after nine months of anticipation, Luke and JoAnne Lokowich were getting ready for what's typically the most important moment of a married couple's life. Hours later, the memories and happiness were overtaken by grief and sadness as JoAnne, after giving birth to daughter

  • Brothers in arms fly together

    Members of the U.S. military oftentimes have relatives that serve alongside them, and this is the case for the Allen brothers, they were recently reunited at exercise Max Thunder 15-1 in South Korea.

  • Kunsan takes flight at Max Thunder

    Kunsan Air Base Airmen joined other members of U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and South Korean air force units at Gwangju Air Base for exercise Max Thunder 15-1, April 10-24.

  • Orthotic tech helps military working dog walk again

    Army Maj. Andrea Henderson, the veterinarian at the Department of Defense Holland Military Working Dog (MWD) Hospital here, first started treating SStash last October. A degenerative disease had led to one of SStash's hind legs needing surgery.

  • From Colorado to South Korea, 3 generations serving on the peninsula

    Most Airmen arrive at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, with the expectation of seeing new faces and forming new relationships at the start of their yearlong unaccompanied tour. But for a father and son of the Colorado Air National Guard, when they stepped onto the Korean Peninsula, they continued a

  • AF Reserve celebrates 67 years of service

    For many Airmen, April 14 will be just another Tuesday, but to members of the Air Force Reserve it will be a day to reflect on how each and every one contributes to the Air Force mission.

  • Foreign officer shares rewards of Academy exchange

    In 2001, Japan Air Self-Defense Force Maj. Kazuto Ueda, then a cadet at Japan's National Defense Academy (NDA), visited the U.S. Air Force Academy for a week. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd return here 12 years later to teach Japanese history, military and culture to American cadets.

  • Darkest before dawn

    He can’t recall the details of that fateful afternoon, but Phillip Sisneros, known by most as just “Phil,” was riding his motorcycle in Las Vegas, on his way home from celebrating a coworker’s promotion the night before -- when his life was turned upside down.

  • Defense Secretary visits Osan AB

    Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited Osan Air Base, April 9, where he held a troop call and briefly spoke about the importance of the United States' role in Asia.

  • SECDEF honors military children at Yokota AB

    In Japan, the secretary held a military family town hall at Yokota Air Base to celebrate April as the Month of the Military Child, established in 1986 by then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger.

  • Largest Kadena flying exercise successfully completed

    Kadena Air Base pulled off their most aggressive exercise to date with Forceful Tiger off the coast of Okinawa, April 1.Forceful Tiger was a large force exercise (LFE) designed to demonstrate the 18th Wing's combat capabilities to defend Okinawa and had more participation from the 909th Air

  • Redeyes fly in Korean skies

    More than 200 Airmen and several F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Colorado Air National Guard’s 140th Wing have been deployed at Kunsan Air Base since February as part of a of a rotational theater security package (TSP).

  • NCO banishes mountain of paperwork to the PIT

    As years of logbooks and paper records stacked up in the 436th Airlift Wing Non-destructive Inspection lab, they needed to find a way to improve both their record logging system and their efficiency.Leadership knew they had a young, computer savvy Airman and they turned to him for the answer.

  • Space planning essential to battle success

    "Space, the final frontier," can mean a lot to people in different careers, but is the vast blackness filled with mesmerizing intergalactic-lights important to today's warfighter?According to Capt. Jamil Brown, the 607th Air Operations Center chief of space plans, space is a newer concept to