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U.S. Air Force News

  • CENTCOM EOD teams link up for joint service field training

    Explosive ordnance disposal teams from across the U.S. Air Forces Central Command area of responsibility participated in a weeklong joint field training exercise May 22 to May 26, 2017, at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia.

  • BLUE: Recruit, train, educate

    Recruit, Train and Educate. That's the motto of Air Education and Training Command. In this episode we show the Instructors training the next generation of Airmen for today's battlefield.

  • F-35 complete first European training deployment

    Eight F-35A Lightning IIs from the 34th Fighter Squadron, along with supporting units and equipment from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, completed the first F-35A training deployment to Europe, May 7, 2017.

  • Total force development services now in a single-point center

    The Air Force has consolidated all total force development services and resources to a single-point center. All Airmen (active duty, Reserve, Guard and civilian) will now be able to fully utilize all force development resources through the virtual force development center.

  • F-35As deploy to Estonia for the first time

    Two F-35A Lightning II aircraft and about 20 supporting Airmen arrived at Ämari Air Base April 25, 2017, from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. The F-35As are participating in their first training deployment to Europe. The aircraft and total force Airmen are from the 34th Fighter Squadron and the

  • McConnell tankers enable first F-35 European deployment

    When the F-35A Lightning II deployed to Europe for the first time April 15, it was made possible by the backbone of the aerial refueling fleet, the KC-135 Stratotanker. “The mission of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing is to refuel the fight,” said Col. Albert Miller, the 22nd Air Refueling Wing

  • NATO partners conduct close air support exercise

    Today’s fight against terrorism doesn’t rest on the shoulders of one country. It’s a team fight, meaning countries must be interoperable to effectively defeat that threat.To better support the team, members of the German air force’s Air Ground Operations Squadron partnered with the 19th Air Support

  • Green Dot training prompts suicide intervention

    An Air Force Life Cycle Management Center program manager at Hanscom Air Force Base credits her efforts to help a woman she worried was suicidal to Green Dot training she received.

  • 480th ISRG fills training gap

    The transition from technical school to duty station created issues within the intelligence community that couldn’t be addressed with on-the-job training alone.

  • Airmen’s Week: Changing the culture of Airmen

    After the completion of Basic Military Training, but before Airmen depart for their various technical training locations, lies a relatively new, yet crucial program geared toward the betterment of the Air Force: Airmen’s Week. Airmen’s Week is a 31-hour, values-based course with a mission to

  • AMC, industry partner to enhance virtual training

    Canadian Aviation Electronics USA, the primary contractor for the KC-135 Stratotanker aircrew training system, recently received authorization to operate on the Air Force’s Distributed Training Center Network. KC-135 Stratotanker simulators will now be connected to other Air Force mobility platforms

  • Air advising, it’s a family affair

    Growing up watching her father put the uniform on day in and day out motivated her to follow in his footsteps and become an Airman, but she never imagined she would get the opportunity to serve alongside her hero.

  • 11th ATKS paves way with training

    To accomplish flight, two geographically separate aircrews work together: the mission control element and the launch and recovery element. The MCE is responsible for executing the mission, while the LRE conducts takeoffs and landings. While being MCE certified is standard for all aircrews flying the

  • Science on a Sphere arrives at KAFB, first in DOD

    In a completely black room at the 335th Training Squadron’s Weather Training Complex, a 48-inch carbon fiber globe hangs, suspended from the ceiling with projectors pointing at it from each corner, awaiting its Defense Department debut March 23, 2017.

  • Five Airmen awarded Olmsted Foundation scholarships

    The Air Force has selected five officers for the award of an Olmsted Foundation scholarship, sponsored by the George and Carol Olmsted Foundation, which offers outstanding young military leaders the opportunity to become fluent in a foreign language, pursue graduate study at an overseas university

  • Wright: Airmen need to be ‘well trained, well led, resilient’

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright addressed the areas in which he looks to focus on during his tenure as the 18th chief master sergeant of the Air Force at the Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida, March 2, 2017.

  • Around the Air Force: Feb. 24

    On this look around the Air Force, the 17th Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force, James A. Cody retires and his replacement, CMSAF Kaleth O. Wright, shares some of his tenure goals and the QF-16 takes flight at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

  • Air Force, Army work together during EOD training

    Explosive ordnance disposal team members, assigned to the Army’s 734th Explosive Ordnance Company at Fort Bliss, Texas, participated in a joint training exercise with the 49th Civil Engineer Squadron EOD flight at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, Feb. 14.

  • Space aggressors jam AF, allies' systems

    The 26th Space Aggressor Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base is always gearing up for the next exercise in replicating enemy action against space-based and space-enabled systems.

  • New course focuses on sortie production at tactical level

    The Advanced Sortie Production Course is the first advanced course specifically focusing on the art and science of sortie production at the tactical level. The new course will take place at the Air Force’s Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Operations School at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

  • Around the Air Force: Dec. 23

    On this look around the Air Force the first Japanese F-35 arrives at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona; Edwards AFB in California is testing ways to save fueling cost for the C-17 Globemaster III; and the Air Force band performs at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

  • T-38 maintenance significant to ISR

    Although various personnel provide support to T-38 flying operations a group of mechanics play an integral role. These civilian contractors work to keep the aircraft ready to fly whenever necessary.

  • F-35 begins integrated training with F-16 at Luke

    In October, pilots of the 56th Fighter Wing began flying integrated direct support practice sorties in the F-35A Lightning II and the F-16 Fighting Falcon for the first time as a regular component of the training curriculum at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona.

  • Training ISR warriors faster, smarter through mobile apps

    There are roughly 12,000 intelligence professionals assigned to 25th Air Force, 70 percent have less than five years of military service, and most of those Airmen are millennials; multi-taskers who thrive on high-tech, mobile and innovative training methods.

  • Around the Air Force: Nov. 22

    On this look around the Air Force, Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico has been selected to be the interim home for two F-16 Fighting Falcon training squadrons, the secretary of defense got a close look at special operations Airmen at work, and the Air Force has concluded an F-16 crash

  • Moody Airmen host riot training for local state troopers

    Airmen from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, hosted Georgia State Patrol’s Mobile Field Force semiannual riot control training Nov. 16-17. The GSP used Moody’s facilities to ensure their readiness for riots while Airmen supported by participating as rioters. The training consisted of both classroom

  • Intel training streamlined

    When it comes to having the leading edge in air, space and cyberspace, non-commissioned officers from the 70th Operations Support Squadron have taken it to a new level, training Airmen on the importance of Air Force National Tactical Integration (AF NTI).

  • Around the Air Force: Nov. 1

    On this look around the Air Force a reduction in ancillary training is announced, cyberattacks are the leading strategic threat and a preview of the latest episode of BLUE features Air Force tankers.

  • Air Force’s first robotic surgery training course established at Keesler

    The Keesler Medical Center recently acquired two da Vinci Xi robotic surgical systems, one for surgeries and the other for training, which is one of the newest systems out there and the first of its kind for the Air Force. Also, Keesler’s Clinical Research Laboratory has set up a training facility,

  • Osan fighter wing enhances "fight tonight' readiness at Red Flag-Alaska

    The 25th and 36th Fighter Squadrons have been training during Red Flag-Alaska 17-1 at the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, from Oct. 6-21.Red Flag-Alaska is a Pacific Air Forces-directed field training exercise that focuses on

  • Iceland hosts Northern Challenge for EOD community

    Airmen from the 52nd Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, participated in exercise Northern Challenge 2016, which began in Keflavik, Iceland, Sept. 12.

  • Pilot identified in fatal U-2 crash

    The pilot who was killed when a U-2 crashed shortly after takeoff Sept. 20 has been identified as Lt. Col. Ira S. Eadie, according to Air Force officials.

  • New faces of the Air Force

    As the Air Force turns a year older Sept. 18, some of the newest members of the service were asked earlier this month on their basic training graduation day why they decided to be part of the world’s greatest airpower team. Here’s what they had to say.

  • EMTs compete in annual AF wide rodeo

    Air Force emergency medical technicians gathered to compete in the 9th annual Air Force Medical Service EMT Rodeo at Cannon Air Force Base Aug. 24-27.The competition involved 24 EMT teams from across the Air Force, at both stateside and overseas installations, challenging one another for the title

  • Spanish aircrews train with US at Red Flag 16-4

    Since its inception in 1975, Red Flag has served as the pinnacle of air-to-air combat training for the Air Force and its allies. For the Spanish Air Force, Red Flag 16-4 has been the perfect avenue to receive the best training for their aircrews and support personnel, as well as an avenue for

  • Colorado stands in for Afghanistan during pilot training

    The 81st Fighter Squadron from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, spent two weeks at Peterson AFB training six Afghan Air Force pilots to fly A-29 Super Tucano. The pilots are participating in a program that began in 2015 and will ultimately train 30 pilots and 90 maintainers through 2018. Most training

  • Air Force, Army planners find ways to see greater jump in airdrops

    An arriving C-130 Hercules taxies to a large hangar where about 60 Army paratroopers wait to board. Lugging about 100 pounds of gear, the Soldiers quickly line up and load into the aircraft as its four idling engines blow hot gusts over the tarmac. Minutes later, the plane is flying at 150 mph and

  • Newly activated unit guides transient aircraft on joint missions

    Any aircraft that flies into Pope Army Airfield, Col. Kelly Holbert will know about it. But Holbert’s unit, the 43rd Air Mobility Operations Group, has no aircraft of its own. As the only en route operations group in the continental U.S., the unit manages transient aircraft and the joint missions

  • Singaporean leaders visit, recognize first weapons instructors

    The 366th Fighter Wing welcomed Singaporean Maj. Gen. Mervyn Tan, chief of Republic of Singapore Air Force, and Brig. Gen. Tommy Tan Ah Han, Republic of Singapore Air Force Air Combat Command commander, Aug. 17-20, to recognize the first graduates of the Singaporean Fighter Weapons Instructor Course

  • Airman teaches Marines combat survival skills

    It’s not every day that an Airman gets to experience firsthand what it means to “train like a Marine,” let alone teach them a few skills of his own. Senior Airman Ronnie Perez, a 460th Medical Operations Squadron medical technician, recently joined 35 Marines from Company A, Marine Cryptologic

  • Contingency response Airmen support exercise Northern Strike

    Airmen from the 821st Contingency Response Group here recently participated in exercise Northern Strike at Grayling Army Airfield and Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center in Michigan. Northern Strike is a large-scale exercise coordinated by the Michigan Army National Guard and features Army,

  • US, South Korean forces integrate at Daegu for Buddy Wing training

    Fighter squadrons across the Korean Peninsula routinely participate in Buddy Wings to enhance the interoperability of U.S. and South Korean air forces. For Buddy Wing 16-7, F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots from the 36th Fighter Squadron traveled to Daegu Air Base, South Korea, to train with F-15K Slam

  • Around the Air Force: Aug. 16

    In this look around the Air Force, the KC-46A Pegasus has been approved for production, the Air Force is looking to create new F-16 Fighting Falcon training squadrons, and enlisted Airmen pursue medical degrees through the Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program.

  • AF, Navy medical teams integrate at sea

    Airmen from the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group’s Mobile Field Surgical Team and Expeditionary Critical Care Team embarked aboard amphibious transport dock USS San Antonio (LPD 17). The group will augment and train with the ship's existing medical personnel to provide additional surgical

  • 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

  • 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

  • Policy changes allow Airmen to retrain into special ops

    In a move to meet the high demand for battlefield Airmen, the Air Force announced changes to retraining and cross-flow, outlined in a policy memorandum from April. The changes allow Airmen to be released from their current jobs in the Air Force to cross-train into the special tactics career fields,

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • A-10s deploy to Slovakia for cross-border training

    The 122nd Fighter Wing, which flies the A-10 "Warthog" airframe, has deployed eight A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and approximately 140 Airmen in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve for a month-long combined training event, overseas, to Sliač Air Base, Slovakia.

  • 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.

  • Residency program serves military, civilian medical personnel

    The Family Medicine Residency Program brings together military and civilian medical personnel while building a partnership of collaboration and a well-rounded learning environment for program participants, which strengthens their abilities to take care of their patients.

  • Around the Air Force: July 12

    In this look around the Air Force, eight new bases are nominated as possible battlefield Airmen training bases, a new undershirt helps keep Airmen cool, and a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate makes the Olympic team.

  • Detachment standardizes aeromedical qualification training for total force

    Airmen assigned to 31 aeromedical evacuation squadrons across the Air Force must complete vigorous training to provide lifesaving in-transit care on fixed-wing aircraft. The 375th Air Mobility Wing’s newest formal training unit, Detachment 4, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the

  • 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

  • Wargame provides reality check for war plans

    More than 70 mobility and logistics professionals from the U.S. and three allied countries convened for an exercise known as Global Mobility, Agile Combat Support (GLOMO/ACS) at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, June 20-24. Air Mobility Command has led the biennial wargame since 2002. In

  • Teamwork, airlift keys to success of exercise in Gabon

    Airmen from the 62nd Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, participated in Central Accord 2016, a joint military exercise with nearly 1,000 participants from 14 countries, which took place on the western coast of Africa June 10-24.

  • Liaison officers keep communication flowing in Swift Response

    As exercise Swift Response 16 began phase II, with C-130J Super Hercules aircraft flying overhead and Soldiers operating on the ground, air mobility liaison officers kept effective communications flowing between both elements to ensure a successful exercise.

  • 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

  • Support personnel, F-16s enhance partnership with Poland

    About 350 personnel are supporting 20 F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base, Italy, and the 138th Fighter Wing at Tulsa Air National Guard Base, Oklahoma, as part of bilateral flying training with the Polish Air Force.