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U.S. Air Force News

  • Shaw AFB firefighters awarded DOD level honor

    Tech. Sgt. Joseph Charleston, the 20th CES station captain, and Senior Airman Boyd Korb, a 20th CES firefighter, were directly responsible for the lifesaving rescue of a downed civilian firefighter in Sumter, S.C.The Airmen received awards at the Air Combat Command and Air Force levels before going

  • Hero honored by American Red Cross

    Staff Sgt. Craig Petersen, a 366th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron weapons load crew chief, was awarded the Military Hero Award by the American Red Cross June 19, in Boise, Idaho.

  • Kadena squadrons relocate to Guam for training

    Service members, aircraft and equipment from the 44th Fighter Squadron, 909th Air Refueling Squadron and 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron temporarily repositioned to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, June 18, as part of an aviation training relocation mission.

  • Fighting prejudice with a passion

    An equal opportunity specialist, a sexual assault response coordinator and a deputy inspector general walk into a base social event. What sounds like the beginning of a joke takes a sudden, very different turn. The fundraising event comes to a grinding halt as those in attendance recognize the

  • AF builds partnership with Baltic states

    Airmen from the 435th Contingency Response Group arrived at Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia June 16, to participate in the Air Force-specific portion of Saber Strike 2014.

  • Airmen wrap up African partnership program

    U.S. and African partners concluded a weeklong collaboration event with eight regional air forces in Dakar, Senegal June 20, aimed at strengthening relationships between the air forces and encouraging an exchange of ideas.

  • Airman excels on two wheels, continues to pedal forward

    It was summer 2007 in Wausau, Wisconsin. David Flaten had completed his first mountain bike race through the nine-mile forest course with no prior racing experience and a simple knowledge of cycling. After regaining the feeling in his legs, the now Senior Airman said he had fallen in love.

  • Airmen repair runway in Afghanistan

    Airmen from the 455th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron and the 577th Expeditionary Prime Base Engineer Squadron completed flightline repairs to the main runway here June 9.

  • AFROTC instructor duty applications due June 30

    Eligible lieutenants, captains and majors interested in Summer 2015 and remaining 2014 Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor opportunities must submit their application, via the Airman Development Plan, to the Air Force Personnel Center by June 30, AFPC officials said June 20.

  • AFROTC detachment command opportunities available

    Eligible active duty line of the Air Force lieutenant colonels and lieutenant colonel-selects interested in Reserve Officer Training Corps detachment command opportunities have until June 27 to complete their statement of intent, via the Airman Development Plan, Air Force Personnel Center officials

  • RPAs meet mission goals safe and on time

    Airmen stationed in the continental U.S. and in deployed locations throughout the world drew on decades of Air Force aviation experience to achieve 65 simultaneous remotely piloted combat air patrols last month.

  • CCAF graduates 350,000th student

    Base leaders, families and service members gathered here June 13 to welcome the spring 2014 graduates of the Community College of the Air Force.Officials awarded selected students with the Pitsenbarger Award Scholarship, the John and Kathy Hood Military Scholarship and made a special presentation to

  • CMSAF attends international symposium

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody attended an international senior enlisted leader symposium June 9-13 in Istanbul, Turkey. The Turkish air force hosted the event which brought together the top senior enlisted Airmen from air forces around the world to exchange ideas and enhance

  • SecAF: Total force readiness has atrophied

    While elements of the Air Force are always prepared to meet the country's readiness needs, total force readiness has deteriorated, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James told the Defense Writers Group here June 18.

  • Afghan air force learns self-sustaining casualty evacuation care

    The flightline is filled with aircrew and C-130 Hercules engines are starting up for another Afghan air force casualty evacuation mission.Within two years, the Afghan air force has made significant improvements to their casualty evacuation capabilities...

  • BMT quarters temporarily housing immigrant minors

    A former BMT facility was turned into a temporary shelter May 18 by the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families. The shelter is for unaccompanied Central American minors who have been caught illegally crossing into the U.S.

  • Westover airlifts 26 tons of aid to Nicaragua

    A training mission doubled as a humanitarian relief effort for Reserve Airmen from the 439th Airlift Wing, Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts, as 13 Airmen delivered 26 tons of cargo to Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport, Nicaragua, June 10.

  • Air Force C-130s land at Lielvarde AB for the first time

    Three U.S. Air Force C-130J Hercules from the 37th Airlift Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, landed on Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia, June 17, making them the first U.S. Air Force aircraft to land at the newly renovated installation.

  • Airmen rescue injured mountain climber

    Two Airmen from the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord risked their lives to rescue an injured climber from Mount Rainier May 28.

  • Enlisted pilots honored during ceremony

    The military's sergeant pilots, enlisted aviators who served from 1912-1957, were honored during a monument unveiling and dedication at Maxwell-Gunter's Enlisted Heritage Hall June 9.Nearly 14 years in the making, the monument depicts Corporal Vernon L. Burge, the Army Signal Corps' first enlisted

  • Wounded warrior battles life, career, competition

    He had known about the cancer, but until his trip to the emergency room that day in 2007, he hadn’t been told how far it had spread throughout his body. The doctor then shared with the master sergeant that his chances of survival over the next five years were at 55 percent and if he was willing to

  • Whiteman B-2s train in UK

    Two B-2 Spirits flew to the U.S. European Command area of operations June 8 to train and integrate with U.S. and allied military forces in the region.

  • AF test pilot school applications due in June

    The 2014 U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, or TSP, selection board will convene here Aug. 5-8 to consider candidates for July 2015 and January 2016 classes, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

  • Airmen, Sailors build Navy mines for B-1 deployment

    Ellsworth Airmen partnered with several U.S. Navy minesmen June 2 through 7 during a joint training mission to exercise the B-1B Lancer's capabilities in deploying Navy mines.The 28th Munitions Squadron members teamed up with midshipmen from the Naval Munitions Command Seal Beach for the first time

  • Mountain Home Fire Department receives DOD award

    The Mountain Home Air Force Base Fire Department was recently recognized as the winner of the 2013 Department of Defense Fire and Emergency Services of the Year award in the small fire department category.

  • Key spouse program key to family readiness

    Air Force spouses are key to maintaining stability on the home front as Airmen maintain focus on the war front, according to the wife of the Air Force’s top officer.

  • Airman's grandfather part of post-Normandy air campaign

    D-Day. The mere mention of the epic invasion can evoke a barrage of images in people's minds spanning the spectrum between horror and glory. For Master Sgt. Matthew Carey, 28th Bomb Wing Treaty Compliance Office superintendent, it conjures thoughts of a man he barely knew and whose grandest

  • U.S., Polish Airmen support largest combined training

    U.S. and Polish airmen started training together at Lask Air Base, Poland, June 2, during the largest theater security cooperation event ever hosted by the U.S. Air Force Aviation Detachment in Poland, according to Av-Det officials.

  • President signs CAP medal into law

    President Barack Obama today signed into law S. 309, the bill awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to Civil Air Patrol for its service during World War II.

  • Secretary James visits 403rd Wing

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James met with civic leaders, toured facilities and spoke to the Airmen and senior leaders of the 403rd Wing alongside Mississippi's 4th district U.S. Representative Steven Palazzo and U.S. Senator Roger Wicker during a visit to Keesler Air Force Base in

  • Eglin welcomes final F-35A

    The 58th Fighter Squadron became the Air Force's first complete F-35A Lightning II squadron after they welcomed their 26th and final F-35A May 28 at the 33rd Fighter Wing, here.

  • Pacific Defender builds multi-national security ties

    Andersen Air Force Base hosted a Security Forces Pacific Defender international subject-matter expert exchange, or SMEE, May 19-23, to help build partnerships across the Pacific region and promote interoperability.

  • AF 'impossible' rescue mission recognized

    On the remote coastline of Eastern Iceland, inaccessible to ordinary travel, a plaque was dedicated May 30 to commemorate a U.S. Air Force rescue team operation accomplished 20 years earlier.On Jan. 10, 1994, members of the 56th Rescue Squadron, then located at Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland,

  • AF pilot helps in airline emergency

    An in-flight medical emergency caused Capt. Mark Gongol, a B-1B Lancer pilot, to jump into action and help safely land a commercial 737 on Dec. 30, 2013.

  • Biden to Class of 2014: 'You carry America on your back'

    The Air Force Academy's Class of 2014 will face new missions as the United States draws down in Afghanistan, but the challenges they encounter will be no less formidable and complex, Vice President Joseph R. Biden said during the Academy's commencement May 28.

  • Wrenches to wings: munitions maintainer becomes F-15C pilot

    Second Lt. Kyle Wheeler once prepared weapons for the F-15C Eagle as an munitions maintenance operator. After earning his commission, Wheeler is in the initial stages to climb into the cockpit and drop the weapons he once delivered.

  • Force protection, fire department team up for uniform burn

    Staff Sgt. Joshua Hellmich has done more than his fair share of "dumpster diving." It's up to this young NCO, along with members of his team assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron's force protection flight, to ensure that no piece of critical information leaves the installation.

  • Combat Hammer 2014: Boosting RPA strike proficiency

    Airmen from the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing and the air-to-ground weapons system evaluation program, or WSEP, team participated in the 2014 Combat Hammer exercise May 12-15, to operationally assess and evaluate the reliability, maintainability, suitability, and accuracy of remotely

  • Travis AFB hosts historic MWD trial

    The Travis Air Force Base trial brought 66 competitors from 29 different agencies to the base, with more than 400 spectators in attendance. The competition tested the ability of military working dog handlers and canines to work in cohesion in the fields of explosives and narcotics detection,

  • B-1B crews validate Ellsworth's long-range strike capability

    Two B-1B Lancer aircrews flew a 30-hour, non-stop, long-range precision strike training mission from Ellsworth to strike targets on a range near Guam before landing back on base as part of a Global Power training mission, May 13 and 14.

  • CSAF provides ‘initial feedback’ to all commanders

    All supervisors are required to provide subordinates with an initial feedback, outlining expectations, standards and goals they can both work together to achieve. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III led the way by introducing the new Air Force Instruction 1-2 “Commander’s

  • Premium DOD exercise hones special operations skills

    More than 1,500 Special Operations Forces from around the services participated in Emerald Warrior, a two-week joint service, inter-agency and partner nation exercise that concluded May 9 at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

  • Israeli, American armed forces prepare for bilateral exercise

    More than 200 service members from both nations’ militaries conducted an opening ceremony May 15 at Hatzor Air Base, Israel, in advance of an exercise aimed at improving the combined defense capabilities and the overall interoperability of U.S. European Command and the Israel Defense Forces.

  • Air Force moves closer to KC-46A beddown

    The Air Force is a step closer to bedding down its anticipated fleet of KC-46A Pegasus aerial tankers. Officials recently announced Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma will serve as the Air Force's KC-46A formal training unit and McConnell AFB, Kansas will be the first active duty-led main operating base

  • SecAF honored for 30 years of service

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James was the keynote speaker for the PenFed Foundation’s Night of Heroes Gala, May 14 and was presented the American Hero Award by the nineteenth Chief of Staff of the Air Force, retired General Norton A. Schwartz, for her 30 years of work in the private and

  • Polish military decorates AF special ops civilian

    The Polish Armed Forces awarded one of its highest military decorations May 6 to an Air Force Special Operations Command civilian. Roy Vaughn, an AFSOC exercise planner, received the Polish Armed Forces Medal during a ceremony in Warsaw, Poland. Vaughn played a major role in training PAF to operate

  • Expeditionary group wraps-up Baltic deployment

    The 48th Air Expeditionary Group handed over the reins of NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission to the air forces of Poland and the United Kingdom during a ceremony at Šiauliai Air Base, Lithuania April 30.

  • ANG unveils new senior enlisted leader management office

    The Senior Enlisted Leader Management Office was unveiled by Air National Guard Command Chief Master Sgt. James W. Hotaling to the state and wing command chiefs during the annual Command Chief's Huddle held here May 11-12.

  • PME, families, civilians focus of latest Chiefchat

    FORT MEADE, Md. (AFNS) -- Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody answered questions from Airmen, civilians and family members during his fourth worldwide CHIEFchat at the Defense Media Activity here April 29.CHIEFchat gives Airmen around the world the chance to directly ask their questions

  • SecAF honors Airmen with leadership awards

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James presented four Airmen with the 2014 Secretary of the Air Force Leadership Award, May 5, during ceremonies at Air University schools here.

  • 'Macho Spouse' creator represents AF at top spouse awards

    The husband of an Air Education and Training Command major represented the Air Force in the 2014 Military Spouse of the Year awards ceremony, honoring a spouse from each service. Christopher Pape, husband of Maj. Dana Pape, AETC resources section chief, was one of six representing the services to be

  • AF doctor leads medical team in Belize

    Lt. Col. (Dr.) Steven Acevedo found himself tasked as the lead for a team of medical providers during the New Horizons Belize 2014 medical readiness training exercise, in the southern Toledo district in Belize. In Belize, Acevedo and his team of doctors, nurses, technicians and educators from

  • Airmen part of international jump week

    From May 4-9 a total of 97 foreign and allied partners tested, built and strengthened partnerships during International Jump Week alongside American Airmen and Soldiers in the skies over Ramstein.

  • SecAF relates readiness to core values

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James spoke May 5 at Maxwell Air Force Base about her first four months in office, the current environment, expectations and how the Air Force core values relate to her own priorities.

  • Eyes in the sky

    Security Forces Airmen at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, aim to enhance comprehensive base safety and security through its Small Unmanned Aircraft System, or SUAS, program.

  • Eligible officers can request assignment with foreign allied AF

    Active duty officers interested in expanding their horizons by building, sustaining, and expanding international relationships while embedded in another country's air force have until May 22 to indicate their interest on their Airman Development Plan in time for the next assignment cycle, Air Force