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U.S. Air Force News

  • Hill AFB Airmen, aircraft progress together as F-35A program matures

    Two years after the Air Force declared initial operational capability for the F-35A Lightning II, pilots and maintainers at Hill Air Force Base’s active duty 388th and reserve 419th Fighter Wings are steadily erasing the word “initial” from in front of “operational capability.”

  • Thunderbirds announce 2019 officer selections

    The commander of Air Combat Command, Gen. Mike Holmes, has officially selected the officers who will be joining the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds for the 2019 demonstration season.

  • F-22 pilots fire live missiles at Combat Archer

    More than 200 pilots, maintainers and operations support staff from the 1st Fighter Wing are gaining firsthand experience in loading and firing live missiles at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, from July 6-20, 2018.

  • Colombian Kfirs fighters train with the A-10, F-16

    Six Colombian Air Force Kfir fighter jets on their way to Red Flag 18-3 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, stopped at Davis-Monthan AFB from July 5-16, to train with A-10 Thunderbolt IIs and F-16 Fighting Falcons.

  • AFCENT A1 gives time back to pre-deploying Airmen

    The U.S. Air Forces Central Command’s Manpower, Personnel and Services Directorate (A1) began the second phase of decreasing pre-deployment requirements for Airmen preparing to enter AFCENT’s area of responsibility. AFCENT Deployment Streamlining version 2.0 was released and became effective June

  • Sisters in service: Closing the joint warfighter’s diversity gap

    The Joint Women’s Leadership Symposium at the San Diego Convention Center June 20-22, 2018, included attendees from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and other service members from 20 different countries. As the largest gathering of military women in the nation, it marked the

  • ACC emphasizes shift in focus to cyber vigilance

    Air Combat Command participated in an Air Force first by testing the reporting capabilities of a mission defense team during a base-wide exercise at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, June 11-15, 2018. The 325th Communications Squadron’s MDT is the first operational unit of its kind in Air Combat

  • Green Flag: Preparing for Close Air Support

    Since the 1980s, the United States of America has been crowned with air superiority by using the F-15E Strike Eagle’s dual-role fighter capabilities in air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.Preparing for those scenarios that happen down-range requires cooperation from both pilots and joint terminal

  • HPO program increases readiness and lethality

    Pararescuemen risk life and limb in order to save the lives of others. Over time, these great efforts cause strain to the body, and, if not treated proactively, can lead to potential permanent damage.Pararescuemen from the 48th Rescue Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base realized having medical

  • Shaw AFB Airmen earn DFC for saving 88 lives

    Col. Daniel Lasica, former 20th Fighter Wing commander, presented the Distinguished Flying Cross to Captains John Nygard and Salvador Cruz, both 79th Fighter Squadron instructor pilots, at Shaw Air Force Base, June 7, 2018.

  • Emerging infectious disease training event bolsters medical readiness

    A team of U.S. military doctors, public health specialists and members of various other career fields participated in a week-long Emerging Infectious Diseases Training Event June 4-8, 2018, in Panama during the New Horizons 2018 humanitarian training exercise. The event, aimed at enhancing attendee

  • Airmen trust training, save child

    It was chaotic. People were screaming. There was smoke coming out of the large sports utility vehicle that was smashed against a tree at the in front of a forest. A frantic woman clenching a child panics and cries for help near the vehicle.Miraculously, three Moody Airmen with life-saving medical

  • Two worlds, one way of life: former monk becomes Airman

    For most people, spending a day without their phone is an impossible feat. To spend 30 days without a phone, writing, reading, talking or even eye contact would seem unfathomable, but for Thailand Buddhist monks, this is their world.After spending 18 years in that world as a monk, Airman 1st Class

  • 74th FS pilots receive DFC

    Two Airmen received the Distinguished Flying Cross May 23, 2018, in recognition of their actions in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.Maj. Matthew “Chowder” Cichowski and Capt. William “Archer” Dana both, 74th Fighter Squadron A-10C Thunderbolt II pilots, risked life and limb while deployed to

  • RAF Warrant Officer leads renovation of 1st Lt. Jarvis Offutt’s grave

    The recent restoration of 1st Lt. Jarvis Offutt’s grave was sparked when a Royal Air Force rivet joint specialist, assigned to RAF Waddington’s 56 Squadron visited the grave to pay respects to the former squadron member in December 2017, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Nebraska.

  • Education opportunities in Air Force IT

    Two 53rd Computer Systems Squadron Airmen recently shared how the Air Force opened wide the doors of educational opportunity, and how they set themselves up for success in both the military and civilian worlds.

  • Small chapel team praised as best in Air Force for 2017

    After being honored with the best small chapel award for Air Combat Command two times, it has finally happened. The 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing Chapel has been named the Air Force’s Best Small Chapel of the Year for 2017.

  • Embedded care teams work to improve Airman resiliency

    For Airmen at the 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, stress is an occupational hazard. Pressing deadlines, a heavy workload and constant pressure are requirements of the mission.They are also one of a growing number of units combating those stressors with an embedded care

  • Air Force awards first ESPC of 2018

    Recently, the Defense Logistics Agency awarded a $42 million energy savings performance contract,or ESPC, to be executed and maintained by Energy Systems Group, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. This represents the Air Force’s first such awarded contract of 2018.

  • Air Force offers several paths from stripes to bars

    Our military offers many opportunities for military members to receive world class training that prepares them for a future in the military with skills and educational benefits that also prepare them for the civilian workforce. We ensure service members have the expertise and skills they need to

  • JBLE Airman overcomes struggle by paying it forward

    U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Svoleantopoulos, 497th Operations Support Squadron weapons tactician, returned from the U.S. Air Force Pararescue Indoctrination Course much sooner than he anticipated. Svoleantopoulos spent the previous three years mentally and physically training for his goal to

  • Airmen participate in joint rescue mission

    Rescue Airmen from the 23rd Wing recently participated in a joint rescue operation alongside other Air Force and Marine Corps assets, approximately 675 nautical miles off the coast of California.

  • ACC commander discusses the warfighter's edge

    The commander of Air Combat Command, Gen. Mike Holmes, discussed the importance of taking the lead in warfighting through innovation at the 2018 Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Florida, Feb. 23, 2018.

  • Sunsetting the MQ-1 Predator: A history of innovation

    The MQ-1 Predator is a remotely piloted aircraft flown by aircrew assigned to the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech Air Force Base and units around the world. It has contributed to the U.S. warfighting efforts in unprecedented ways and is scheduled to sunset on March 9, 2018, as the

  • RPA aviators recognized with Doolittle Award

    Airmen assigned to the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, received the Air Force Historical Foundation’s 2017, James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle Award, Jan. 30, 2018, at the U.S. Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Va., for their contributions to aviation history.

  • Dentist charters private plane for Puerto Rico

    Ortiz Gonzales reached out to a friend from dental school, who was also from Puerto Rico. Together, they worked with a church in Florida and chartered a private plane. It wasn’t cheap, but the price did not deter her. She personally funded the mission and got to work gathering supplies to fill the

  • First AFWERX storefront opens in Las Vegas

    Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson, along with guest of honor Vice President Mike Pence as well as the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein, opened the AFWERX-Vegas storefront Jan. 11 at the Howard Hughes Center in Las Vegas.

  • Vice President Mike Pence visits Nellis AFB

    Vice President Mike Pence made his way to Las Vegas Jan. 11, 2018, to attend the grand opening of the first AFWERX facility and visit the men and women of Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada.

  • Flying ambulances: Aeromedical evacuation

    The morning starts early with an alert about four hours before takeoff. Members of the 379th Expeditionary Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron begin several mandatory tasks before boarding the aircraft. Nurses go over mission details, as medical technicians pack more than a thousand pounds of equipment

  • Hill AFB F-35A maintainers passing the Pacific TSP test

    Five weeks into the first F-35A Pacific Theater Security Package deployment the 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit team is at full stride.Maintainers in the Pacific location and in Utah, home of the 34th AMU under the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings are coming together to make the first TSP a success and

  • Double take: Brothers’ bond extends far beyond twin upbringing

    It is well known that twins share a unique bond that transcends other sibling relationships. It’s common for twins to live, work and recreate within close proximity to each other throughout their lives.But for one pair of Air Force twins, they’ve taken that commonality several steps further.

  • Upgrades to missile detection radar earns civilian recognition

    Dr. Donald Hoying, the radar’s program manager at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, leads a team of 50 military and government civilians and contractors who are working to upgrade these SSMs while improving the radar’s satellite, space-borne object and missile detection capabilities. In November,

  • Airman lunges for knockout debut

    A Florida native, Tech. Sgt. Andre Penn, 20th Civil Engineer Squadron unaccompanied housing manager at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, has been preparing for more than a decade to achieve his dream of becoming a professional boxer.

  • Combat RPAs integral in defeating ISIS

    U.S. forces, coalition partners and Syrian Democratic Forces liberated Raqqah, Syria from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’s control in early October 2017. ISIS used the city as its capital for terrorist operations since January 2014.

  • Hill AFB’s F-35A, Airmen mastering first Pacific deployment

    More than 300 men and women of the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings out of Hill Air Force Base, Utah and 12 F-35A Lightning IIs are conducting business for the next six months on the subtropical Japanese island of Okinawa during a deployment known as a Theater Security Package.

  • F-35 mission data programmers recognized by AF

    The 53rd Wing’s 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron was awarded the Outstanding Scientist/Engineer Team of 2017 for their work on the F-35A Lightning II Initial Operational Capability delivery at Eglin Air Force Base, Oct. 25, 2017.

  • Airfield systems Airmen prepare for AFSC merge

    Airmen assigned to the 20th Operations Support Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base are getting ahead of the curve by preparing for an Air Force specialty code merger scheduled for November 2017.

  • ACC commander engages Airmen, discusses priorities

    Gen. Mike Holmes, Air Combat Command commander, visited the men and women of Moody Air Force Base, Oct. 17-18, 2017.While gaining an in-depth exposure of the installation’s unique assets, Holmes used this visit as an opportunity to explain to Airmen their role in the fight and how it contributes to

  • 71st Rescue Squadron brings home a win

    The 71st Rescue Squadron was presented the That Others May Live Foundation’s 2017 Rescue Squadron of the Year Award, Oct. 21, 2017, in Melbourne, Florida.

  • CSAF, CMSAF visit Offutt AFB

    Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright visited Offutt Air Force Base, Oct. 18, 2017.Goldfein and Wright received a tour of the base, and learned more about the mission accomplished by the 55th Wing, U.S. Strategic Command and

  • EMEDS team deploys to support hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico

    As Puerto Rico continues to reel from the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria, Air Combat Command deployed medical assets Oct. 18, 2017, to provide relief to the community and supplement teams that have already begun relief efforts.

  • Airman counters life's jabs

    God. Family. Boxing. That’s all that matters to Airman 1st Class Isaiah Randall, 23rd Equipment Maintenance Squadron aircraft structural maintenance apprentice.Life’s unpredictable ups and downs often test people in ways that shake the foundations that give them peace though.

  • Engineering the future: MQ-9 pilot gives back

    Service is defined as unrelenting devotion to one’s duty to his or her country. It’s one of the core values instilled into every Airman . However, for one Airman, it also means giving back to his community.

  • 55th HMU: Ready to repair at a moment’s notice

    High above the desert mountains, an HH-60G Pave Hawk glided through the evening air. What was supposed to be a standard maneuvering exercise turned into an inflight emergency when the helicopter suffered a detrimental bird strike.

  • Long range strike operations in Libya

    Brig. Gen. John Nichols, 509th Bomb Wing commander, along with aircrew directly involved with the Libya Raid, discussed their actions during the raid, long range strike operations and the B-2 Spirit during a panel at the Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference, Sept. 19, 2017.

  • Operation Uggianaqtuq: An Arctic security expedition

    While the Air Force is developing strategy to align efforts in the Arctic’s blistering cold with greater Defense Department strategy in the region, it’s also working to build international Arctic partnerships.

  • Airman saves newborn minutes from death

    After severe weather left many with property damage, and even more without power, a patient missing an appointment might have been easily overlooked.But for Senior Airman Taylor Scherff, 55th Medical Group Pediatric Clinic medical technician, something didn’t sit right. She knew she couldn’t wait

  • Guardian Angel boat teams rescue Hurricane Harvey victims

    Pararescuemen from the 58th Rescue Squadron rescue victims of Hurricane Harvey, Aug. 30, 2017, Orange, Texas. The 347th and 563d Rescue Groups from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Nellis AFB, Nevada, and Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, sent rescue boat teams to Orange County, and the surrounding areas in

  • Airmen attend dive school

    Airmen attending the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center go through dive training with the goal of enabling the safe, timely and effective training of qualified candidates for combined operations in support of national military strategy and national security.

  • Air Force keeps rescue operations fueled

    Airmen from 71st Rescue Squadron and 23d Logistics Readiness Squadron conducting forward area refueling point operations were the life blood to air search and rescue missions going Aug. 31, 2017 in Beaumont, Texas.

  • Moody AFB assets launch for rescue operations

    HH-60G Pave Hawks from the 41st Rescue Squadron launch sorties in support of Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, Aug. 29, 2017, at Easterwood Airport, College Station, Texas. The 347th Rescue Group from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, sent aircraft and personnel in support of the Federal Emergency

  • Rescue assets preposition for Hurricane Harvey response

    Airmen from the 23rd Wing launched HC-130J Combat King IIs, HH-60G Pavehawks and their aircrews to preposition assets to potentially respond to recovery operations in the wake of Hurricane Harvey at Moody Air Force Base, Aug. 26, 2017.The 23rd Wing received a prepare to deploy order to support

  • It takes a village to deploy a warfighter

    Air Force Airmen prepare to deploy across the globe in support of national objectives every day. To make this possible, installation deployment readiness cells and the unit deployment managers prepare and process members for deployment to unified combatant commands.

  • Two-week summit takes aim at aircrew retention

    The Aircrew Crisis Task Force hosted a two-week aircrew retention summit here as part of a holistic approach to improve readiness and capacity by increasing retention of experienced aviators Aug. 14-25, 2017.

  • From refugee to Airman

    In the country of Liberia, Africa, a good day and bad day are extreme opposites–a difference of children playing in the street and going to war. For locals like Christiana Katta, war zone experience came at an early age. She was just 2 years old when she and her family picked up all their belongings

  • A picture worth 1,000 words: 30 years of heritage

    Glancing over a 1985 family portrait, a man is awestruck at the image of his younger self. The snapshot of his mother cradling him as his siblings welcomed back their father from a deployment captured a moment that was stronger than words.

  • New equipment gives Airmen time to breathe

    After a pilot completes their Initial Aerospace Physiology Training they occasionally go through a refresher course to maintain their flying status. In order to complete the course aircrew work with the 9th Physiological Support Squadron for a variety of reasons, including a hypoxia demonstration.

  • F-35As fly in weapons evaluation

    Airmen from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings supported and flew their F-35A Lightning II aircraft during Combat Hammer, the first operational air-to-ground weapons evaluation for the Air Force’s newest fighter jets.

  • Luke graduates first F-35A initial qualification course

    The 61st Fighter Squadron made history graduating the first F-35A Lightning II initial qualification course Aug. 5, 2017. After eight months of tremendous teamwork from across the 56th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base produced six F-35A fighter pilots ready for the combat Air Force.

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • 17th ATKS celebrates 75 years of aviation excellence

    For the past 75 years, the 17th Attack Squadron have played an integral part in the defense of the nation by providing combatant commanders with reconnaissance capabilities, and more recently, with precision attack capabilities.

  • SecAF gets firsthand look at MQ-1, MQ-9 mission

    Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson visited Creech Air Force Base July 19, 2017 to get a closer look at the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper mission.During her visit Wilson toured the base and gained insight into the dominant persistent attack and reconnaissance mission the Airmen of the 432nd

  • Podcast puts new spin on resilience

    How do you talk to Airmen about resilience – especially when a unit is geographically dispersed? When two colleagues and friends at the 363rd Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing, set out to answer that question, their priorities were to make the information approachable, accessible

  • Top AF analysis leader recognized

    Gen. Mike Holmes, the commander of Air Combat Command at Joint Base Langley-Eustis received the Lt. Gen. Glenn A. Kent Leadership Award during a ceremony at the Pentagon July 11, 2017.

  • Silver Star mission a lesson in teamwork

    Retired Lt. Col. Gregory Thornton was presented the Silver Star Medal - the third highest medal for valor in the military - in a private ceremony held at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force June 30, 2017.

  • Thunderbirds announce 2018 officer selections

    Gen. Mike Holmes, the commander of Air Combat Command, has officially selected the officers who will be joining the United States Air Force Thunderbirds for the 2018 demonstration season.

  • 4 FW's greatest heroes: McKennon, Green – The rescue

    The history of the 4th Fighter Wing includes many stories of great wingmen, including the incomparable team of Don Gentile and John Godfrey in World War II. By adjusting their tactics and working closely together in the air combat duels over Europe, they became two of the highest scoring American

  • Enlisted RPA pilots soar to new heights

    The Air Force’s first three Enlisted Pilot Initial Class graduates are slated to complete their final phase of training requirements in July at Beale Air Force Base, California.