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NATO Air Policing operations — U.S. Air Force News

April 30, 2025
Air Guard units join forces for aerial wildfire suppression training

Military and civilian flight crews wrapped up a week of aerial wildfire suppression training, concluding the annual Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems spring training.
March 14, 2025
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.
Feb. 28, 2025
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.
Jan. 17, 2025
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.
Jan. 15, 2025
Wyoming, Nevada Guard aircrews assist California firefighters

Three C-130 Hercules traveled to Channel Islands Air National Guard Base in California to assist the state’s firefighting apparatus.
Dec. 20, 2024
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.
Dec. 20, 2024
Around the Air Force: Operation Christmas Drop 2024

In this week’s Around the Air Force, we highlight Operation Christmas Drop 2024: the Defense Department’s longest-running humanitarian airlift operation, which brings U.S. and partner nations together to provide food, tools and clothing to more than 58 remote islands in the Indo-Pacific region.
Dec. 19, 2024
Operation Christmas Drop 24 interfly showcases interoperability

Allied aircrews from five nations took to the skies and executed a multinational “interfly” mission to culminate Operation Christmas Drop 2024, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam.
Dec. 13, 2024
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.
Oct. 18, 2024
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.
Oct. 4, 2024
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.
Aug. 30, 2024
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.
Aug. 28, 2024
70 Years of Flight: The C-130's legacy, future

Robins AFB held a C-130 70th anniversary celebration highlighting the aircraft’s history as one of the most versatile and battle-tested aircraft in the Air Force fleet.
Aug. 23, 2024
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.
July 26, 2024
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.
July 17, 2024
MAFFS aircraft deployed in support of fighting wildfires

U.S. Northern Command deployed two C-130 aircraft equipped with MAFFS conducted wildland firefighting operations over multiple fires in California alongside other units.
July 12, 2024
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.
June 7, 2024
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.
March 2, 2024
USCENTCOM, Royal Jordanian Air Force conduct combined humanitarian aid airdrops into Gaza

The combined operation included U.S. Air Force and RJAF C-130 aircraft and respective U.S. Army Soldiers specialized in aerial delivery of supplies. Soldiers ensured the safe drop of food aid and built bundles.
Feb. 23, 2024
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.
Oct. 20, 2023
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.
Sept. 25, 2023
Air Force to field new body armor carrier systems for aircrew

Aircrew operating across 20 different rotor, tilt-wing, and fixed-wing aircraft will receive new body armor carrier systems as part of an effort to update and replace older models.
Aug. 17, 2023
Nevada Air Guard helps battle western wildfires

The Nevada ANG will support wildland firefighting operations in several western states. So far this fire year, 85 fires have burned 546,988 acres in 12 states.
June 9, 2023
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.
April 7, 2023
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.
Feb. 17, 2023
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.
Feb. 10, 2023
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.
Dec. 14, 2022
Partner nation air forces deliver humanitarian aid during Operation Christmas Drop 2022

Five partner nation air forces worked together to deliver essential supplies to island communities in the western Pacific as part of Operation Christmas Drop 2022.
Oct. 25, 2022
NY Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing supports Antarctic research

The New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing, using the LC-130 "Skibird" Hercules, has begun launching support operations in Antarctica in support of National Science Foundation research.
Oct. 14, 2022
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.
May 13, 2022
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.
Jan. 28, 2022
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.
Dec. 10, 2021
Multi-state ceremony to celebrate first human flight

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will honor the local foundation of innovation and grit its mission is built upon Dec. 17 at 10 a.m., commemorating the Wright brothers’ accomplishments 118 years ago with the annual First Flight ceremony.
Dec. 9, 2021
Niger receives second US C-130 to support enduring Sahel operations

The delivery marks the enduring commitment of the U.S. Air Force to support continued humanitarian operations and counter violent extremist organizations missions throughout the Sahel alongside Nigerien air force partners.
Sept. 30, 2021
ACC completes Strategic Validation Exercise 4 on ACE, CAFFORGEN

As the fourth iteration of the SVE series, this exercise was dedicated to stress testing and refining key concepts of the new Air Force Generation model, force presentation, and Agile Combat Employment at the wing level of operations.
Sept. 17, 2021
Airmen hone expeditionary skills at Rally in Rockies exercise

Active duty, Air National Guard and Reserve Airmen gathered in Colorado and Wyoming for 22nd Air Force’s flagship exercise Rally in the Rockies Sept. 12-17. The exercise is designed to develop Airmen for combat operations by challenging them with realistic scenarios that support a full spectrum of
Sept. 15, 2021
Reserve C-130 aerial firefighting teams fly during second busiest wildfire season

Since first being activated July 20, the 302 AW has been working together with other military aircraft from Nevada Air National Guard’s 152nd AW, Wyoming ANG’s 153rd AW, and California ANG’s 146th AW to drop millions of gallons of fire retardant in support of fire suppression efforts in California.
Aug. 20, 2021
Cal Guard actively fights state’s wildfires

Nearly 1,000 Cal Guard service members are currently activated for fire missions in the air and on the ground.
Aug. 20, 2021
Cal Guard actively fights state’s wildfires

Nearly 1,000 Cal Guard service members are currently activated for fire missions in the air and on the ground.
July 9, 2021
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.
March 22, 2021
AFWERX crowns 2021 Spark Tank winner

The Spark Tank event allows Airmen to offer improvements and solutions to the problems they face in everyday operations.
Feb. 26, 2021
Negative for Covid-19

The Negatively Pressured CONEX and NPC-Light. A solution of transforming existing 40-foot CONEX containers into air-mobile biocontainment isolation wards.
Nov. 6, 2020
Around the Air Force: Agile Flag 21-1, re-designed G-Suits, and Testing the Minuteman III

Today’s look Around the Air Force highlights Air Combat Command’s “Agile Flag” exercise, incorporating the “Lead Wing” concept for agile combat employment, a test run of modified Advanced Technology Anti-Gravity Suit “G-suits” for female pilots, and an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test
Nov. 3, 2020
Agile Flag paves way for Lead Wings

The lead wing for this exercise was the 366th Fighter Wing from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and 250 Airmen from six units from across the Air Force who participated to better understand the diverse requirements that will go into certifying the lead-wing concept for Air Combat Command.
Nov. 2, 2020
MAFFS tackle largest wildfires in California history

The rumble becomes a deafening roar as the California National Guard C-130 Hercules, only 150 feet above the ground, appears just above the treetops and drops 3,000 gallons of retardant in less than five seconds; thick red liquid coating the pine needles and forest floor below, creating a
Oct. 2, 2020
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.
Sept. 10, 2020
Airmen find solution to KC135 and C130 battery testing failure, reducing cost and maintenance delays

The batteries serve as the aircraft’s backup to power essential equipment should engine generators fail. To date, the Air Force C-130 and KC-135 fleets, more than 600 aircraft globally, operate with the batteries.
Sept. 4, 2020
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.
Aug. 6, 2020
AFMC virtual town hall addresses COVID-19, diversity, command future

Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr., AFMC commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Stanley C. Cadell, AFMC command chief, addressed questions in front of a live, virtual audience during the event streamed live on the AFMC Facebook page.
July 8, 2020
Spangdahlem AB hosts USAFE large force exercise

The exercise focused on aircrew integration of multiple platforms to enhance readiness and increase proficiency needed to maintain a ready force to ensure the collective defense of the NATO alliance.
June 19, 2020
Around the Air Force: SECAF Visits Whiteman Air Force Base, C-17 Makes Technological Leaps, and Recruiting Releases New App

Today’s look Around the Air Force highlights the Secretary of the Air Force’s visit to Whiteman Air Force Base to discuss the importance of the nuclear mission, a super fast data link for the C-17 that gives aircrews an advantage in contested airspace, and the release of the new Air Force Recruiting
June 5, 2020
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.
June 5, 2020
AFCEC leads Little Rock AFB runway replacement

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center is leading a $180 million project to replace the 64-year-old runway at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas.
May 15, 2020
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.
April 27, 2020
Nigerien Air Force’s first female pilot trains at Little Rock AFB

According to Capt. Ouma Laouali, the Nigerien air force’s first female pilot, her interest in aviation began as a child while chasing planes overhead, imagining what it would be like to be in the sky.
April 17, 2020
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.
April 16, 2020
AMLOs provide expertise in COVID-19 response, aid field hospital unit movements

The AMLOs are rapidly responding to emerging air mobility requirements in New York City, Seattle, Dallas and New Orleans in coordination with Air Mobility Command and the 618th Air Operations Center, as part of the whole-of-government U.S. response to combating COVID-19.
March 18, 2020
Taming the flames on Ramstein AB’s new F-15 mobile trainer

Twenty-two NATO firefighters from Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic were the first to train on Ramstein Air Base’s new F-15 Mobile Aircraft Fire Training asset.
Jan. 31, 2020
Around the Air Force: C-130 Virtual Reality Maintenance, Microgrid Project and MilTax

Today's look Around the Air Force features a look at Virtual Reality maintenance software for C-130s, a more resilient power grid technology and MilTax benefits for this tax season. (Hosted by Senior Airman Marqus Williams)
Dec. 13, 2019
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.
Nov. 1, 2019
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.
Oct. 25, 2019
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.
Oct. 4, 2019
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.
Aug. 20, 2019
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
June 27, 2019
Sheppard AFB hosts international partners for C-130 maintenance training

To combine these forces, the 818th MSAS sent 15 maintainers from the Chadian, Nigerian and Ethiopian air forces to Sheppard AFB’s aircraft maintenance training environment for a three-week C-130 training course.
June 20, 2019
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.
June 14, 2019
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.
June 7, 2019
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.
May 31, 2019
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.
May 31, 2019
123rd Airlift Wing supports interoperability with exercise Immediate Response

The purpose of the annual exercise is to build multinational readiness, enhance military-to-military relationships and improve interoperability between land forces to provide mutual assurance, deter regional aggression and support a balanced approach to security and stability in the Balkan region.
April 26, 2019
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.
April 19, 2019
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.
April 8, 2019
New chapter for the 911th Airlift Wing

As of the first week of April, three out of the eight C-17s assigned to the 911th AW will be stationed at the Pittsburgh International Airport Air Reserve Station. The rest of the aircraft are to arrive over the next few months.
April 5, 2019
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.
March 15, 2019
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.
March 8, 2019
Ramstein wraps up Exercise Operation Varsity 19-01

Ramstein wrapped up Operation Varsity 19-01, a week-long exercise testing the response capability of multiple base agencies.
March 8, 2019
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.
Feb. 25, 2019
Combat metals: The modern-day blacksmiths

While there are a lot of precautionary measures in place to prevent bird strikes and other aircraft incidents, they are not 100 percent preventable.When these incidents occur, there’s a small group of Airmen who are called upon to do patchwork to get the aircraft back to base and to fix the damage
Feb. 22, 2019
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.
Dec. 21, 2018
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.
Dec. 14, 2018
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.
Nov. 27, 2018
C-130 aircrew exercises combat airdrop capability

From food and water to ammunition and equipment, ground forces in the region receive critical assets thanks to C-130 Hercules aircrews like those from the 746th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron stationed at Al Udeid Air Base.
Nov. 10, 2018
C-130 crew chief course gets rolling with new GITA

The Air Force and Air Education and Training Command seeks to improve the quality, speed and relevance of the training enterprise by introducing virtual and augmented reality technology with new ground instructional training aircraft, or GITA.
Nov. 2, 2018
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.
Sept. 20, 2018
Angel de los Andes exercise unites US Air Force, South American partners

Ninety-five U.S. Air Force Airmen trained with 11 partner nation air forces, tallying more than 400 participants, in the Colombian-led multinational search and rescue exercise “Angel de los Andes” Sept. 3-14.
Sept. 17, 2018
National Guard answers call for Hurricane Florence

National Guard members have flowed in from at least 28 states to help North and South Carolina units support civil authorities following Hurricane Florence.
Aug. 9, 2018
MAFFS: Colorado reservists activated to support fire suppression efforts in Western U.S.

Air Force reservists and one Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped C-130 Hercules aircraft from the 302nd Airlift Wing deployed to California August 8.
July 20, 2018
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.
May 25, 2018
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.
May 4, 2018
Around the Air Force: May 4

On this look around the Air Force, a C-130 Hercules crash is being investigated, medical Airmen get real world experience in Panama, and Air Mobility Command holds their biannual Phoenix Rally Summit.
May 2, 2018
C-130 crashes in Georgia

While performing a training mission, a U.S. C-130 Hercules cargo plane from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard crashed about 11:30 a.m. May 2, 2018, near the Savannah Hilton Head International Airport with five people on board. Personnel are on the scene responding. A board of officers will
May 1, 2018
High School to Flight School

Officials at Air Force Reserve Command headquarters, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, are hoping an innovative new program will help the command meet its need for flight engineers.
April 30, 2018
Around the Air Force: April 30

On this look Around the Air Force, Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee for the 2019 Fiscal Budget, the 911thAirlift Wing switches to C-17s, humanitarian cargo is delivered to Guatemala, and Guard and Reserve Airmen train for wildfire
April 24, 2018
Air Guard, Reserve wings kick off annual MAFFS training

As temperatures heated up in northern California, aerial firefighters from four C-130 airlift wings operating the U.S.D.A. Forest Service’s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or MAFFS, started a weeklong training April 23, 2018, in anticipation of summer blazes.
April 13, 2018
JB Charleston trains ANG to be globemasters

The first of four C-17 Globemaster IIIs was transferred from Joint Base Charleston to the Charlotte Air National Guard, N.C. April 7, 2018 as part of a congressional mandate.Through this directive Joint base Charleston will send 16 C-17s to four Air National Guard bases.
Jan. 11, 2018
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
Jan. 8, 2018
Iraqi Air Force graduates first craftsman maintenance technicians

The Iraqi Air Force certified their first 7-level craftsman C-130 Hercules maintenance technicians in a ceremony, December 27, 2017.
Dec. 13, 2017
Operation Christmas Drop launches

The 66th iteration of Operation Christmas Drop took to the sky Dec. 11, 2017 as military leaders ceremoniously pushed the first pallet of donated toys, food, supplies and educational materials into a C-130J Super Hercules at Andersen Air Force Base.
Dec. 11, 2017
386th AEW MOC gatekeeper of a broader scope

The Airmen of the maintenance operations center are responsible for recording the mission capabilities of all aircraft under the 386th AEW purview. The information gathered helps analysts determine trends in aircraft maintenance needs, creating opportunities to preclude long-term problems. The
Dec. 11, 2017
AF’s newest Herc joins Ramstein AB fleet

A new model C-130J Super Hercules arrived at Ramstein Air Base Dec. 4, 2017, as part of a rotational process to upgrade existing aircraft.

U.S. Air Force News