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  • CSAF letter to Airmen

    Attached is the first in a series of short papers I will share that outlines my thinking in key focus areas. You will find each in our Strategic Master Plan (SMP) and Air Force Future Operating Construct (AFFOC); and each nests nicely under SecAF’s priorities of: Taking Care of Airmen; Balancing

  • Around the Air Force: Aug. 9

    On this look around the Air Force, in reference to the Real ID Act, some forms of identification will no longer be accepted to gain entrance to Air Force facilities; Air Force ROTC cadets experience a special tactics obstacle course; and a B-52 Stratofortress crew completes a mission that took more

  • New AF violence prevention specialists training begins

    Representatives from the major commands and more than 30 Air Force installations attended training at Dobbins Air Reserve Base July 18-29 to become violence prevention specialists. The Specialists for the Primary Prevention of Violence is being set up as a new helping agency for Airmen and their

  • Around the Air Force: Aug. 5

    On this look around the Air Force, B-1B Lancers deploy to Guam; a new issue of Airman magazine is out and features U-2 pilots; and in Germany, seven nations participated in International Jump Week.

  • 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

  • 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.

  • Tech Report: High-altitude pressure suits

    Maintaining the atmosphere the human body is accustomed to has been a challenge plaguing high-altitude flight, and the Air Force has spent years developing suits just for it.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Teens learn to BOUNCE back in first AF teen resiliency course

    Twenty-four teenagers participated in the Air Force's first resiliency teen camp, named BOUNCE, from July 11-15 at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. BOUNCE, which stands for Be optimistic, Observe thoughts, Use strengths, Never give up, Communicate effectively and Embrace you, is a weeklong

  • 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

  • 100-plus aircraft fly in for exercise Red Flag 16-3

    The three-week long Red Flag 16-3, a U.S.-only exercise that tests all participating units’ combat capabilities in a joint environment that centers on multi-domain integration, kicked off at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, July 11.

  • 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.

  • National Intrepid Center zeroes in on traumatic brain injury

    Defense Medical Surveillance System and Theater Medical Data figures show that more than 339,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury since 2000. For service members on their roads to recovery, the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda, Maryland, stands ready

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Former AF chief of staff recognized for analysis legacy

    Former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper was honored for his analysis work with the Lt. Gen. Glenn A. Kent Leadership Award, presented by Kevin Williams, the director of Air Force Studies, Analyses and Assessments, during a July 11 ceremony at the Pentagon.

  • 59th MDW brings normalcy to wounded patients

    Most people have no idea what “maxillofacial” means, but to wounded warriors with traumatic injuries the word inspires hope. Disfigured by circumstances while abroad or at home, maxillofacial prosthodontics gives wounded warriors, veterans and civilians a chance at living a normal life.

  • Carter announces 560 US troops to deploy to Iraq

    Secretary of Defense Ash Carter met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other Iraqi leaders in Baghdad on July 11. He commended them for the recent progress in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, including the capture of a strategic airfield near the town of

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • First USAF F-35A takes overseas flight to England

    The Air Combat Command F-35A Heritage Flight team accomplished America’s first transatlantic flight in an F-35A Lightning II, with refueling support from a KC-10 Extender, when it touched down June 30 at Royal Air Force Fairford, England.

  • Around the Air Force: July 1

    In this look around the Air Force, Gen. David Goldfein is confirmed to be the next Air Force chief of staff; the Air Force Personnel Center is accepting pilot applications; and five more bases have been nominated to potentially have KC-46A Pegasus tankers.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • Airmen help save fishermen at sea after ship catches fire

    Members of a special operations surgical team assigned to the 720th Special Tactics Group at Hurlburt Field, Florida, worked to save the lives of two critically-burned fishermen rescued 500 miles off the coast of Bermuda on June 22.

  • Around the Air Force: June 27

    In this look around the Air Force, the Osan Air Base, Japan, community remembers a hero; the Air Force secretary talks about space as a potential battlefield; and survivors of the Khobar Towers bombing recall the 1996 terrorist attack.

  • Montana's last Doolittle Raider honored

    Seventy-four years after the historic Doolittle Tokyo Raid, former Staff Sgt. David J. Thatcher, one of two remaining Doolittle Raiders, was laid to rest June 27 in Missoula. He was 94.

  • Know your supplements, it could cost you

    Airmen should be careful when taking dietary supplements -- because of the potential health risks, but also because they could lead to a positive urinalysis test result, according to officials with Air Force Reserve Command’s Medical Services Directorate and staff judge advocate’s office.

  • 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

  • Documenting a tragedy: Global Strike historian recalls Khobar Towers

    Yancy Mailes, the Air Force Global Strike Command historian, was a 27-year-old staff sergeant at the time. It was June 25, 1996, and he had been the wing’s historian for three months. With little training and less experience, he found himself as one of the key contributors to documenting the tragedy

  • AF announces total force award

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James announced the annual General Mark A. Welsh III One Air Force Award during a retirement dinner held in honor of the award’s namesake in Washington, D.C., June 23, 2016.This new Air Force-level award will be presented to the service’s top total force team that

  • Air Force bids farewell to Welsh

    Stealing a moment of silence, looking into the eyes of his wife, he takes a deep breath and prepares for what’s to come. Standing tall and proud, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III walks into a hangar in front of hundreds of onlookers, all there to bid him farewell.

  • Around the Air Force: June 24

    In this look around the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh III's career is celebrated at his retirement ceremony; one of two of the surviving members of the Doolittle Raiders dies; the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games came to a close; and a new episode of BLUE

  • BLUE: Khobar Towers

    Air Force TV has released the latest episode of the Air Force's flagship television program, BLUE. On June 25, 1996, the U.S. Air Force experienced one of the most horrific attacks in its history. Three Airmen look back on the incident and how it changed them and the Air Force -- forever.

  • ACC: F-35 on track for IOC

    The F-35A Lightning II is on track to declare initial operational capability between August and December. Col. David Chace, the F-35 systems management office chief and lead for F-35 operational requirements at Air Combat Command, answers questions on the fifth-generation fighter.

  • Guardsmen train at Maintenance University

    More than 260 Air National Guard members from five states attended a weeklong course in aircraft maintenance here to enhance proficiency in everything from hydraulics to electrical generation.The annual event, now in its eighth year, is called Maintenance University, said Capt. James Campbell, the

  • Around the Air Force: June 21

    In this look around the Air Force, Gen. David Goldfein testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on his nomination for Air Force chief of staff, and the new Blended Retirement System gives Airmen more retirement options.

  • Around the Air Force: June 17

    On this look around the Air Force, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force opens a fourth building and now offers a virtual tour; and a Delta IV rocket launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

  • Goldfein testifies at CSAF confirmation hearing

    The Senate Armed Services Committee held a confirmation hearing June 16 for Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein on Capitol Hill, following his presidential nomination for the position of the 21st Air Force chief of staff on April 26.

  • Carter announces more US support for Afghan forces

    U.S. forces in Afghanistan now will be able to boost support for Afghan conventional forces with more firepower and by accompanying and advising them on the ground and in the air, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said June 15 in Brussels.

  • Around the world in 14 days

    In 1873, Phileas Fogg, the fictional protagonist in Jules Verne’s “Around the World in Eighty Days” circumnavigated the globe by rail and steamer ship in, of course, 80 days. Unfortunately for Fogg, he did not have access to a C-5M Super Galaxy to accomplish this feat quicker.

  • No limits: Airman pushes past near death experience

    Staff Sgt. Sebastiana Lopez Arellano was riding a motorcycle when an animal scurried onto the road, causing her to swerve and hit a curb. As she high-sided over her bike, the momentum catapulted her body into a tree. The impact severed her right leg. As she recovered, she found comfort in sports and

  • Airmen Powered by Innovation projected to save over $120M

    The Air Force secretary, while championing change across the service, has made the Make Every Dollar Count campaign one of her top three priorities. At the heart of the campaign is the Airmen Powered by Innovation program. Since 2014, API has received 6,791 ideas from Airmen. Of those submissions,

  • US military showcases aircraft at Berlin air show

    U.S. military aircraft based in America and Europe were on display during this year’s Berlin air and trade show from June 1-4. The International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) is one of the oldest air shows around dating back more than 100 years.

  • June issue of Airman magazine now available

    In the cover story, titled “The Swat Team,” you’ll go behind the scenes with Air Force entomologists and public health Airmen as they learn more about the Zika virus, carried by Aedes mosquitoes, and how to protect from infection.

  • Obama addresses Academy graduates

    President Barack Obama shared with the graduating cadets of the U.S. Air Force Academy some of the lessons he has learned in more than seven years as president and commander in chief during a June 2 commencement ceremony in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

  • Around the Air Force: June 3

    On this look around the Air Force, the Air Force releases its 2030 Air Superiority Plan; an update on the KC-46A Pegasus; and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody talks about the new enlisted performance reports.

  • That others may live: Silver Star medal for fallen Airman, son

    Capt. Matthew Roland, of the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron, posthumously received the Silver Star on June 1 for actions taken during an ambush Aug. 26, 2015, in Afghanistan. Roland's family accepted the decoration on behalf of the fallen special tactics officer.

  • Forever family, never forgotten

    A mother watched as her 2-year-old, blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy stood in the middle of Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, hugging the gravestone of his father who had died five months prior. With heavy hearts, the two journeyed from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to meet others who understood

  • Around the Air Force: May 31

    On this look around the Air Force, changes are coming to the Air Force's utility allowance policy, the Air Force applies new Environmental Protection Agency guidelines to ensure water safety, and some civil engineer Airmen in Japan participate in a joint airfield repair exercise. Hosted by Staff

  • Voices from the past, lessons for the future

    If walls could talk, and pictures are worth a thousand words, the Air Force’s Art Gallery’s new exhibit honoring the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War could tell the story of a generation of service men and women who served during the conflict.