NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Tenn. ANG uses satellites to support humanitarian relief for Bahamas

    The 118th Intel Group is providing humanitarian relief support using commercial satellite imagery and off-the-shelf technology from commercial open sources. This technology helps identify safe routes from airfields to distribution centers, medical facilities, schools, hotels and freshwater sources.

  • Safety professionals recognized at 2019 NSC Congress and Expo

    The National Safety Council developed the Rising Stars of Safety to help highlight up-and-coming safety professionals. Winners show leadership in safety and bring new ideas to existing problems at their organizations. The Air Force is the only organization, federal or industry, which has had a

  • AFH1 phone app available now on Apple and Google Play

    The AFH1 app includes the “The Air Force Handbook 1,” and study guide, as well as Air Force Instruction 36-2618, The Enlisted Force Structure, known as the “The Little Brown Book.” There is also access to the “The Little Blue Book” which focuses on the profession of arms. Other tools such as flash

  • CMSAF emphasizes human connections at Hanscom all call

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright spoke about resilience and leadership topics during a town hall Sept. 6.More than 400 Airmen from Hanscom AFB, as well as other invited Airmen from geographically separated units, listened as Wright touched on those topics and answered questions.

  • Hurricane Hunters finish flying Dorian

    Operations began with three WC-130J aircrafts and one C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 403rd Wing departing Keesler Air Force Base, Aug. 25, for Curaçao to provide weather reconnaissance support of what was then Tropical Storm Dorian.

  • AMC’s largest exercise, Mobility Guardian 2019 begins

    Mobility Guardian 2019 is set to be AMC’s largest full-spectrum readiness exercise to date. Forty-six U.S. aircraft will join aircraft from 29 international partners, along with more than 4,000 U.S. and international Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps aviators.

  • Executive order offers better access to mental health resources

    Executive Order 13822, "Supporting Our Veterans During Their Transition From Uniformed Service to Civilian Life," directs the departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security "to come together and ensure we have seamless access to mental health care and suicide prevention resources for

  • JB Charleston begins recovery operations after Hurricane Dorian

    Recovery teams will return to the base and work to ensure JB Charleston’s facilities, infrastructure and homes are safe for the return of its service members and families. Hurricane recovery teams are expected to begin travel back to JB Charleston as soon as possible but when it is safe to do so

  • CDO, AFIMSC enable readiness through cloud-based visualization tool

    The VAULT Platform is the data office-sponsored platform that provides cyber-secure, cloud-based tools to connect, find, share and learn from Air Force data. It was implemented to be fully compliant with the Air Force Data Services Reference Architecture (Air Force released in February 2019). The

  • Shaw AFB prepares for Hurricane Dorian

    Service members have been working hard to protect the installation against potential wind damage and flooding, such as placing sandbags around buildings, securing objects that could become flying hazards and fueling generators for possible power outages.

  • ACC maintains readiness through hurricane preparation

    Aircraft from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; Moody Air Force Base and Robins Air Force Base, Georgia; and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, began evacuating to inland bases Sept. 2.

  • 116th Air Control Wing evacuates JSTARS aircraft ahead of Hurricane Dorian

    The 116th Air Control Wing, Georgia Air National Guard, began relocating the fleet of E-8C Joint STARS aircraft stationed on the installation, Sept. 2, to prevent potential damage from Hurricane Dorian. The Joint STARS have relocated temporarily to Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, where they will

  • Air Force preps for Hurricane Dorian

    As of Sept. 3, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, entered Hurricane Condition, or HURCON, 1, which indicates surface winds in excess of 50 knots (58 mph) could arrive in the area of Patrick AFB and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station within 12 hours. The base issued a limited evacuation order Aug. 31,

  • Maxwell AFB opens for Hurricane Dorian support

    Personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Defense Logistics Agency arrived Aug. 29 to begin preparations for receiving trailers of food, water and other necessary supplies FEMA may use after the hurricane passes.

  • Ninth annual African Air Chiefs Symposium comes to an end

    The ninth annual African Air Chiefs Symposium concluded following four days of collaboration and strategic communications between air chiefs and senior leaders from 35 African air forces along with senior leadership from U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa.

  • Innovative approach increases polygraph efficiency

    Recognizing this directly hindered conducting polygraph examinations, the AFOSI 2nd Field Investigations Squadron Polygraph Office, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, did something innovative about it.

  • Lighting up the runway: 386th ECES maintains flightline

    The group of Airmen jump in their truck on the side of the taxiway. While bathing in the frosty air conditioning, a C-17 Globemaster III suddenly soars past the truck from the left, and moments later, an eardrum-bursting sound roars across the bright skies of Kuwait as the hulking aircraft lifts off

  • A dark night leads to a bright career

    “We didn’t know what the area below us really looked like,” said Maj. Gen. Timothy Leahy, Second Air Force commander. “It could’ve been rolling terrain and when we hit the ground, the helicopter could’ve rolled over and burst into flames. Everyone could’ve died.”

  • Pilot Training Next graduates 14 in learning experiment's second iteration

    PTN is an experimental program under the “Learning Next” umbrella with a focus on understanding how Airmen learn, as well as exploring and potentially prototyping a flying training environment that integrates various technologies to produce pilots in an accelerated-and learning-focused manner.

  • Yokota AB hosts Pacific Unity 2019

    The four-day bilateral training event spanning from Aug. 20-23 brought together Airmen from throughout the Pacific to team up with Japanese Air Self-Defense Force service members to learn the advanced rapid airfield damage repair skills necessary to respond in war-time contingency operations.

  • CSAF Private Pilot Scholarship Program changing face of US aviation

    In 2018, almost half of all newly licensed female pilots between the ages of 17 and 19 were graduates of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Flight Academy. This year, 150 cadets each received a scholarship from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Scholarship Program to attend one of

  • Hurricane Hunters fly Hurricane Dorian

    Due to a lack of radar and weather balloons availability over the Atlantic Ocean, the 53rd WRS flies into the storms, gathers the data and provides this data to the NHC to assist with their forecasts and storm warnings by transmitting the information gathered via satellite communication

  • Air Force mandates dedicated space for nursing mothers

    The policy enables commanders to support nursing mothers by outlining procedures and requirements for establishing a private, secure (lockable from the inside) and sanitary location for the purpose of breastfeeding and/or expressing breast milk.

  • Wounded warrior talks resiliency during tactical pause

    In the wake of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein’s Resiliency Tactical Pause directive, Master Sgt. Jose E. Rijos, Air Force Wounded Warrior ambassador, recounted the traumas of his career with his service dog, Cairo, at his side.

  • Oregon’s 142nd Fighter Wing conducts training with Navy counterparts

    As part of the DACT exercises, the Navy brought six F-18’s and approximately 125 Sailors to engage with the 142nd FW’s F-15C Eagles. The training focused on compliance and capabilities preparation, allowing both units to stay proficient while providing upgrade training to junior pilots.

  • Space Flag holds first exercise with coalition partners

    Space Flag 19-3 integrated approximately 160 coalition participants, observers and distinguished guests in Air Force Space Command’s “Fight Tonight” exercise focused on using current capabilities to deter, deny and disrupt adversarial actions in the space domain.

  • Military dentists thrive in joint-service training

    Appalachian Care 2019 is a unique U.S. military training mission sponsored by the Innovative Readiness Training program, which falls under the Department of Defense’s Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Reserve Integration.

  • 12th OSS egress training saves lives

    With approximately 1,200 students certified or recertified every year, the program teaches pilots how to properly egress from T-1A Jayhawk, T-6A Texan II and T-38C Talon aircraft.

  • BESPIN-AFIMSC alliance improves mission support capabilities

    BESPIN and AFIMSC are partnering to develop two mobile applications: an app connecting the military community to base events and an app to improve contractor accountability. The apps were two of the top three ideas chosen during AFIMSC’s inaugural Innovation Rodeo March 1.

  • 86th VRS rolls onto virtual highway

    Members of the 86th Vehicle Readiness Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, are doing exactly that by acquiring a new driving simulator to train Airmen that aren’t familiar with German roads and weather conditions.

  • AMC C-130 rainbow fitting inspections complete

    Thanks to early detection by Air Force Materiel Command aircraft maintenance and engineering professionals and quick implementation of a fleet-wide time compliance technical order, C-130 maintainers have inspected and verified the viability of 113 of the 123 affected aircrafts’ lower center wing

  • Air Force advances innovation at “Spark Collider”

    In Air Force-speak, the Spark Collider “will accelerate the matching of Air Force problems with viable solutions” by being equal parts speed dating, tech showcase and pitch sessions. The Air Force’s effort to innovate is part of a central tenet for defending the United States as outlined in the

  • AFGSC professional development programs help Airmen grow

    In Air Force Global Strike Command, there are a number of programs designed to develop the understanding and knowledge of nuclear operations and critical thinking for officers, enlisted members and civilians as well as broaden their view of the mission.

  • ETDC supplying Airmen with right gear for mission

    Ali Al Salem’s ETDC, currently the second largest distribution center in the (USCENTCOM) theater of operations, is the distribution center support hub for more than 14,000 warfighters, issuing up to 100,000 items worth $56 million every six months.

  • Air traffic control: Keeping the skies safe

    Similar to other careers, on-the-job training for air traffic controllers is a must in order to ensure agile combat airlift is delivered anywhere and anytime. Airmen assigned to this unit learn alongside a fully qualified and experienced trainer, so there is no room for error when it comes to

  • DoD agency keeps file swaps safe

    Now in the wheelhouse of DISA, the file transfer capability has been rebranded DoD SAFE, or secure access file exchange. The DoD SAFE capability is part of DISA's Defense Collaboration Services suite of applications.

  • AFCYBER presents, participates in DEF CON 27

    Throughout the four-day event, attendees could learn new skills from industry professionals, test those skills during capture-the-flag competitions, network with others, interview for jobs and test out products and simulators, among other things.

  • Hill AFB wins DOE award for energy efficiency

    The annual award recognizes outstanding contributions in the areas of energy efficiency, water conservation and the use of renewable energy technologies at federal facilities.

  • Little Rock AFB EOD supports Ark., surrounding states

    The Explosive Ordnance Disposal team at Little Rock Air Force Base completes countless hours of training and faces ample challenges in order to support the base and the entire state of Arkansas, as well as parts of Mississippi and Tennessee, to support a variety of military installations.

  • US, NATO allies team up for Icelandic Air Surveillance exercise

    During exercise Icelandic Air Surveillance 2019, Airmen from the 480th Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem Air Base, worked to establish air surveillance and interception coverage over Keflavik AB, Iceland, to maintain the integrity of the NATO airspace, July 29-Aug. 10.

  • Joint-nation alliance meets, trains at Travis AFB

    The purpose of the group, according to Royal Australian Air Force Wing Commander Brady Cummins, Australian representative on the AFIC Management Committee, is to identify and resolve current and future interoperability challenges by leveraging collective expertise.

  • 15th Wing hosts CSAF at Hickam Airfield

    During his visit, Goldfein learned about the unique history, mission and challenges of the 15th Wing, while Mrs. Goldfein toured JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam historic housing and the Child Development Center.

  • AFRL licenses second technology to local firm

    This marker, along with a second patent by Brott and his team involving infrared phosphor technology, has recently been licensed to Battle Sight Technologies, which expands to their existing collection of infrared technologies. This technology works similarly to the dials on a watch, absorbing

  • SERE: learning to survive at sea

    To develop these skills necessary to stay alive, aircrew from the 389th and 391st Fighter Squadrons attended water survival training taught by SERE specialists Chorpenning and Tech. Sgt. Timothy Emkey.

  • CSAF shares insight, expectations with AU students, faculty

    The purpose of Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein's visit was to address the students of Air War College and Air Command Staff College as they begin their academic year, as well as speaking with the university’s faculty on development and hear their questions and concerns.

  • 419th Civil Engineers help relocate Alaskan village

    With the nearest interstate highway roughly 600 miles away, 419th CES personnel were transported to the village by helicopter. Their tools and supplies were brought in via a barge on local waterways.

  • Agile Lightning demonstrates nimble operations

    Adaptive basing exercises require all levels of the squadron to deploy small teams of Airmen and aircraft for a short amount of time to hone their skills. This was the first adaptive basing methodology exercise for the F-35A in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

  • Avionics Airman inspires young women at aviation camp

    Senior Airman Lydia Kamps, an avionics technician with the 756th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, had the opportunity to return to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s GirlVenture Camp during the Oshkosh Air Show in Wisconsin as a mentor -- not just a participant.

  • Emerging technology may save Airmen’s lives

    This focus on readiness was on display Aug. 5 during a SERE exercise in Vallejo, California, which provided Airmen an opportunity to train using realistic scenarios while testing new technology.

  • Air Force Academy awarded accreditation until 2028-2029

    The final report from the HLC found the university met all of the criteria for accreditation and federal compliance requirements without comments, reaffirming its accredited status until the 2028-2029 academic year.

  • How pilot training has changed over the years

    With senior leadership making innovation a priority, the Air Force has changed how Airmen are trained and how they become proficient at their jobs. This in turn has changed the way the Air Force develops pilots and what pilot training currently looks like.

  • FTX trains Airmen for deployed environment

    While at Quantico, the 633rd SFS members, known as defenders, sharpened their skills while conducting day and night reconnaissance operations, establishing a forward operating base, and clearing villages to acquire a specific target.

  • Record-setting first sortie for wing's newest F-35A

    Aircraft tail number 5261 left Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, production facility a little after 8 a.m. Aug. 1, landed at Hill Air Force Base at 10 a.m., and by 3 p.m. had taken off on its first combat training mission.

  • AFSPC rolls out new enterprise data strategy

    The command’s enterprise data strategy will provide the means to ensure greater mission success. It is a framework that integrates space enterprise data sources into a common, resilient and agile architecture optimized for space domain awareness and responsive multi-domain operations at speed and

  • AFRL’s Digital Hangar to support lifecycle management of aerospace systems

    The Air Force Research Laboratory’s “Digital Hangar,” a concept created by Dr. Rick Graves, an Air Force Research Laboratory’s design and analysis branch aerospace research engineer, is a virtual repository containing digital surrogates of aerospace systems that have been gated through rigorous

  • Eglin AFB pilots receive ratings for new helicopter

    Maj. Zach Roycroft and Tony Arrington completed the five-week contracted course on the civilian counterpart to the Air Force’s new MH-139 helicopter. The helicopter will replace the Air Force’s aging UH-1N Huey.

  • Evolution of space: 2nd SOPS celebrates GPS Block III on-orbit test

    Lockheed Martin presented the 2nd Space Operations Squadron with a GPS Block III model satellite to celebrate the successful on-orbit testing of the new GPS III satellite at Schriever Air Force Base, July 29.Staff Sgt. Joseph Wood, 2nd SOPS mission chief, said the model is a physical representation

  • International, technical partnership continues to flourish

    Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization Preparatory Commission executive secretary, Dr. Lassina Zerbo, traveled from his headquarters in Vienna to meet with Air Force Technical Applications Center commander, Col. Chad Hartman, in Florida July 25, to discuss modernization of the National

  • Simulators prepare Airmen for real-world scenarios

    “They blink, they breathe,” said Raymond Jernigan, 633rd MDG simulator operator. “Even the baby simulators have motion. They cry. I can program it to talk. They can be programmed to have physiological responses – I’ll set the vital signs.”

  • Kentucky Air Guard home to DoD’s only search and rescue dog

    In response to scenarios like the Haitian earthquake, Parsons spearheaded a new approach, developing the squadron’s Search and Rescue K-9 program. The effort, launched in 2018, is designed to increase the capabilities of disaster response teams in locating and recovering personnel through the use of

  • 100th surgical team completes robotic surgery training

    This milestone is significant for Keesler’s InDORSE program, showing how far the curriculum has come since the program first stood up in March 2017 with just one robot. Now, InDORSE has acquired a second robot, allowing them to train more military surgical teams across the Department of Defense as

  • Vt. ANG prepares for F-35 arrival

    The partnership between the 158th FW consists of the visiting staff from BAE Systems, Inc., Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney aerospace company who are assisting members through the technical phases of induction.

  • Oliver Ray Crawford: fierce, effective Air Force advocate dies at 94

    A lawyer who spent 13 years in the Air Force Reserves, Oliver Ray Crawford was a charter member of the Air Force Association. In 1989, he was named the organization’s Man of the Year and went on to serve as AFA president for two years in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Following his tenure as