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U.S. Air Force News

  • Balancing career, family through career intermission program

    Being in the U.S. military can be a tough balance between career and family. For some, it comes down to a choice between the two; however, for Katie Evans, a temporarily separated captain and the former 18th Force Support Squadron manpower and personnel flight commander here, it's about keeping

  • Raptors bring intimidation to exercise Northern Edge

    Its wide muzzle, short black broad nose with large nostrils and deep-set, dark eyes grimace intimidation across the patch on the right shoulder of the pilot boarding his aircraft while preparing to engage an enemy in the joint interoperability environment that is Northern Edge 2015.

  • Alaska's military continues Operation Colony Glacier support

    In November 1952, an Air Force C-124 Globemaster II with 52 passengers and crewmembers aboard crashed near Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. Almost 60 years later, June 9, 2012, an Alaska National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk crew on a training mission noticed some debris on Colony Glacier. The National

  • Northern Edge 2015 fills the skies

    Approximately 200 military aircraft filled the skies above Alaska June 15, signifying the start of the joint training exercise, Northern Edge 2015.

  • Nepal final report: AF support for Operation Sahayogi Haat

    Since the May 26 deactivation of the Nepal earthquake response task force, Joint Task Force-505, the scope of the Air Force's contribution to Operation Sahayogi Haat reveal the magnitude of Pacific Air Force's role in the response.

  • Elmendorf fuels flight named best in AF

    The Air Force recently recognized the 673rd Logistics Readiness Squadron's Fuels Management Flight as the best in the Air Force after being named the winner of the 2014 American Petroleum Institute Award.

  • Victim advocate lends a helping hand

    Staff Sgt. Joshua Greene, a 673rd Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter, has been a victim advocate for the past seven years, and although he hadn't put much thought into it when he signed up, the impact he has made on others has caused him to never look back.

  • PACANGEL efforts end in Papua New Guinea

    Pacific Angel 15-4 officially ended June 8 after seven days of civic assistance projects that provided medical care for 3,859 patients, refurbished three schools for 3,000 students and helped two local hospitals overhaul their ability to respond to emergencies.

  • Alcohol consumption slow road to nowhere

    The long warm days of summer invite celebration, recreation and relaxation as residents hurry to cram in all their outdoor activities before the cold, dark winter arrives and drives everyone back inside.One familiar attendee to outdoor social gatherings is alcohol. While many choose not to partake

  • Fairchild, McConnell tankers fuel NORAD exercise

    A tanker task force assembled from the 92nd Air Refueling Wing at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, and the 22nd ARW from McConnell AFB, Kansas, joined approximately 300 military personnel and 15 aircraft in exercise Amalgam Dart 15-2 May 26-June 1.

  • Kunsan hosts Buddy Wing 15-4

    The 8th Fighter Wing is hosting members from the South Korean air force's 123rd Tactical Fighter Squadron, 20th Fighter Wing at Seosan Air Base, South Korea, to participate in exercise Buddy Wing 15-4 here June 1-5.

  • Misawa cyber security best in DOD

    The cyber readiness team at Misawa Air Base, Japan, was rated the best in the Defense Department, following a Command Cyber Readiness Inspection (CCRI) May 11-15.

  • Joint Task Force-505, Nepalese army treat earthquake victims

    U.S. service members assisted officials, from the Government of Nepal and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with providing medical care for earthquake victims at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 12.

  • Behind the scenes: Yokota supports Nepal

    Members of Yokota Air Base, serving at the primary airlift hub in the Pacific region, often deploy to provide humanitarian aid to countries stricken by natural disasters. In recent years alone, the 374 Airlift Wing has deployed to support regional countries such as Japan after the Tohoku earthquake

  • Airman returns home to Nepal after earthquake

    When Senior Airman Manoj Khatiwada was asked to join a team of Pacific Air Forces Airmen traveling to Nepal to assist the government with relief operations following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, he was filled with mixed emotions. Khatiwada was born and raised in Nepal and came to the U.S. in 2009

  • Fixing things: A childhood dream

    In a compound hidden away from prying eyes, the men and women of the 374th Logistics Readiness Squadron vehicle maintenance shop don their blue mechanics overalls and work to ensure that Yokota's wheels on the ground can keep their birds in the sky.

  • AF recognizes top wing command team

    Col. Mark August and his wife, Cristen, received the General and Mrs. Jerome F. O’Malley Award during a ceremony at the Pentagon, May 8.

  • PAF marks milestone, integrates with Air Force AWACS crew

    For the first time in Philippine Air Force history, PAF air battle managers controlled aircraft while airborne by integrating with the U.S. Air Force's 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron as part of exercise Balikatan 2015.

  • Nepal relief airlift expands with deployment of Yokota aircraft

    As U.S. efforts to support the government of Nepal is recovering from the earthquake that struck the country April 25, the 374th Airlift Wing here sent four C-130 Hercules and accompanying personnel to aid Joint Task Force-505 (JTF) in its mission.

  • Emerging from the fog: A story of loss, healing, new beginnings

    On the way to the hospital, after nine months of anticipation, Luke and JoAnne Lokowich were getting ready for what's typically the most important moment of a married couple's life. Hours later, the memories and happiness were overtaken by grief and sadness as JoAnne, after giving birth to daughter

  • USDA dogs sniff out snakes

    With the utilization of 17 active-detector dog teams, 3,400 traps and toxicants, the U.S. Department of Agriculture captured approximately 8,300 brown tree snakes on Guam last year.

  • Brothers in arms fly together

    Members of the U.S. military oftentimes have relatives that serve alongside them, and this is the case for the Allen brothers, they were recently reunited at exercise Max Thunder 15-1 in South Korea.

  • Elmendorf force support squadron earns LeMay award

    The 673rd Force Support Squadron earned the Air Force Curtis E. LeMay award for best large installation-level FSS of the year in the Air Force for 2014. The award recognizes the 673rd FSS leadership, customer service, support and quality-of-life programs provided to joint military members and their

  • Kunsan takes flight at Max Thunder

    Kunsan Air Base Airmen joined other members of U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and South Korean air force units at Gwangju Air Base for exercise Max Thunder 15-1, April 10-24.

  • AF celebrates Earth Day by focusing on mission today, tomorrow

    Air Force leaders are reminding Airmen to keep the mission in mind as the Air Force observes the 45th annual Earth Day April 22. The service has encouraged Airmen around the globe to focus on recycling efforts this year, in line with its 2015 theme, “Conserve Today – Secure Tomorrow.”

  • From Colorado to South Korea, 3 generations serving on the peninsula

    Most Airmen arrive at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, with the expectation of seeing new faces and forming new relationships at the start of their yearlong unaccompanied tour. But for a father and son of the Colorado Air National Guard, when they stepped onto the Korean Peninsula, they continued a

  • Airman aims high for the future

    Since early childhood, Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Kimberly Daugherty has admired service members, especially those who fly. The shiny wings displayed on their uniforms instilled in her a sense of wonder. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she always responded with the same answer:

  • Husband, wife tackle first deployment together, support bomber presence

    B-52H Stratofortress teams have been rotating to Andersen Air Force Base for the last 11 years to maintain the U.S. Pacific Command's continuous bomber presence (CBP). Hundreds of Airmen deploy every six months to support this mission that strengthens regional security and stability of the

  • Largest Kadena flying exercise successfully completed

    Kadena Air Base pulled off their most aggressive exercise to date with Forceful Tiger off the coast of Okinawa, April 1.Forceful Tiger was a large force exercise (LFE) designed to demonstrate the 18th Wing's combat capabilities to defend Okinawa and had more participation from the 909th Air

  • Redeyes fly in Korean skies

    More than 200 Airmen and several F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Colorado Air National Guard’s 140th Wing have been deployed at Kunsan Air Base since February as part of a of a rotational theater security package (TSP).

  • Generating airpower with hydraulics

    The 35th Maintenance Squadron's hydraulics systems back shop maintains F-16 Fighting Falcon’s hydro systems, including landing gear systems, brakes and flight controls.

  • SERE training prepares aircrew for the worst

    Tech. Sgts. Jeffrey Ray and Michael Garcia, both are survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE) specialists with the 15th Operational Support Squadron, ensure all flight crews assigned to the 15th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, are prepared to handle emergency situations by

  • BLUE: The art of survival

    This edition of BLUE features America's Airmen receiving survival skills training. If their plane ever goes down, they need to know how to survive in the harshest environments. See how the Air Force puts their skills to the ultimate test in the frozen wilderness of Alaska, at Arctic Survival School.

  • Space planning essential to battle success

    "Space, the final frontier," can mean a lot to people in different careers, but is the vast blackness filled with mesmerizing intergalactic-lights important to today's warfighter?According to Capt. Jamil Brown, the 607th Air Operations Center chief of space plans, space is a newer concept to

  • Airman helps strengthen bond between US, China

    An Airman assigned to the 15th Operations Support Squadron here, is tapping into a unique set of skills to support the U.S. Pacific Command's priority of strengthening its foreign partnerships. Capt. Joshua Hu, a 15th OSS executive officer, speaks Mandarin Chinese and has used his ability to

  • US, South Korean air forces sharpen cyberspace defense

    Attacks, counter-attacks, bombs, rescues, evacuations and logistics are all elements of conflict. For the participants of Key Resolve 2015, these actions and other important elements of combat come through a buzzing hard drive rather than from a physical foe.

  • Mock trials teach SAPR through demonstration

    Airmen from the Kunsan Air Base First Term Airmen Center witnessed a sexual assault mock trial, providing a realistic portrayal of a trial. It was an attempt to highlight the emotional, legal and wide-reaching ramifications of sexual assault on individuals, work sections and units involved.

  • PACAF earns SECAF Safety Award

    The 2014 Air Force safety awards were announced Feb. 25, naming Pacific Air Forces the recipient of the Secretary of the Air Force Safety Award, the highest safety award in the Air Force.

  • Natural disaster response improved at Cope North 15

    More than 300 service members from six countries joined together to conduct the humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) portion of exercise Cope North 15 from Feb. 15 to 18, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and throughout the region of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

  • Cope North 15 kicks off at Andersen

    Exercise Cope North 15 kicked off at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, Feb. 15, and will run through Feb. 27, marking the 86th iteration of the multilateral training exercise.

  • US, Japan helicopter crews get on the same page

    Service members from the 459th Airlift Squadron invited Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) members from Camp Higashi-Tachikawa, to ride along in two UH-1N Iroquois helicopters Jan. 29, 2015, near Tokyo.

  • Cope South 15 successfully ends

    U.S. and Bangladesh air force (BAF) personnel joined together for the closing ceremony of exercise Cope South 15 (CS15) at BAF Base Bangabandhu, Bangladesh, Jan. 29.

  • Generating airpower: Chiefs of the flightline

    Maintainers have to be efficient in maintaining every aspect of their aircraft. Some days are spent crewing a specific jet for the day's flights, others are dedicated to the many demands of the maintenance world, it's difficult to put into words all that a crew chief does.

  • Cope South experts exchange knowledge, techniques

    The flight line here at exercise Cope South 15 (CS15) is usually a flurry of activity every morning, with maintainers firing up auxiliary power units and loadmasters finalizing their cargo plan.However on Jan. 27, there wasn't a single C-130 Hercules aircraft engine running. Instead, U.S. and

  • Cope South 15 launches in Bangladesh

    U.S. Air Force and Bangladesh air force (BAF) personnel took to the sky Jan. 24, for the launch of exercise Cope South 15, a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, bilateral tactical airlift exercise at BAF Base Bangabandhu, Bangladesh.

  • EOD: Keeping Airmen, community safe

    The motto, “initial success or total failure,” requires Airmen of the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) flight here to think outside the box and accept nothing less than perfection when performing their duties.

  • Elmendorf saves through alternative energy

    The federal government has set goals to lower costs and save energy. Everyone has a role to help, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, is taking steps to do its part.

  • Airman continues the family business

    Staff Sgt. Dana Walker is from a family focused on science. Her father and her siblings have careers in different science fields and Walker herself chose to become a meteorologist in the Air Force.

  • Ice bridge closes gap to range complex

    From the first day the Tanana River in Alaska is frozen enough to walk on, Airmen from the Eielson Air Force Base’s 354th Civil Engineer Squadron’s range maintenance shop drill holes, pump water and let it freeze, layer after layer.

  • Grand Forks officer selected for Mansfield Fellowship Program

    An officer with the 348th Reconnaissance Squadron at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota will soon be making his way from the Land of the Sunflake to the Land of the Rising Sun after being accepted for one of the world's most prestigious international fellowship programs.

  • RED HORSE joins Navy, local Guam engineers for concrete course

    Several Airmen from the 554th RED HORSE Squadron and Guam Air National Guard's 254th RED HORSE Squadron teamed up with U.S. Navy Sailors from Naval Base Guam to participate in the island's first joint concrete American Concrete Institute (ACI) field concrete testing program Dec. 9-12.

  • Chaplain's 50-year journey to become bishop of Fairbanks diocese

    "I've always had a committed faith and a love for God, but never really thought of becoming a priest until I was enlisted in the Air Force," said Chaplain (Maj.) Chad Zielinski. The Michigan native, who currently serves as the 354th Fighter Wing deputy wing chaplain, was ordained bishop of the

  • Short-notice: A new way to exercise

    When 1st Lt. Matt Lavigne's phone rang late Dec. 10, he knew it was time to scramble into action. As a fighter pilot, preparedness is engraved into his DNA, but this was the first time he'd experienced something like this. In only a few hours, he'd be flying side by side with other F-16 Fighting

  • 613th AOC provides command and control for Yama Sakura 67

    Air Force and Army members from the 613th Air and Space Operations Center collaborated with the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) here Dec. 8–13, during exercise Yama Sakura 67 (YS67), the largest U.S. Army annual bilateral exercise in Asia-Pacific region.

  • Kunsan AB hosts Exercise Max Thunder 14-2

    U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy personnel and aircraft are training with the Republic of Korea Air Force units Nov. 14 - 22, in the semi-annual, bilateral training exercise Max Thunder 14-2, here.

  • SecAF visits Guam during Pacific tour

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James visited here Nov. 19-20, to meet with Airmen and gain a better understanding of the central role the island base plays within Pacific Command as part of engagements at Pacific Air Force bases.

  • PACAF establishes integrated air and missile defense center

    The Pacific Integrated Air and Missile Defense Center officially commenced operations here Oct. 1, culminating a vision shared by military leaders in the Asia-Pacific region to increase multinational integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) capabilities in the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) area of

  • Radar site techs: First line of defense 24/7, 365

    At the narrowest part of the Bering Strait, where the North American and Asian land masses meet in a virtually uninhabited area, sits a vital, yet relatively unknown, asset that is the first line of homeland defense for the United States and Canada -- the Tin City Long Range Radar Site.

  • PACAF hosts Air Force civic leaders

    Members of the Air Force Civic Leader Program traveled to Hawaii Oct. 14-16, to participate in a military tour highlighting the Pacific Rebalance.The program and its civic leader visits to military installations serve to better inform communicators in the civilian community and advocates for Air

  • Wolf Pack soars at RED FLAG-Alaska 15-1

    Airmen from the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, recently participated in Red Flag-Alaska (RF-A)15-1 from Oct. 6 to 17at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.

  • Robinson takes command of PACAF

    Gen. Lori Robinson took command of Pacific Air Forces from Gen. Hawk Carlisle Oct. 16 during a change of command ceremony.

  • Global Strike workshop delivers key planning strategies

    Airmen from Air Force Global Strike Command, along with representatives from the Air Staff, Pacific Air Forces and the Navy, participated in the Global Strike Workshop Oct. 6-10, here, to develop plans via a joint planning group to deal with contingencies in the context of unified engagement.

  • Aircrew members traverse combat survival training challenges

    Placed in the middle of the woods, pursued by an unknown number of adversaries, and the day's last light sinking beyond the horizon is exactly the type of setting survival, evasion, resistance and escape, or SERE, instructors hope to train aircrew members in.The setting is the training ground for

  • 1 Airman dead, 2 remain missing at sea

    One Airman is confirmed deceased and two more are missing after they were washed out to sea from the northwest coast of Okinawa at about 3:45 p.m. Oct. 5.

  • Powering the flightline

    People use electricity every day, whether by turning on a light switch or vacuuming the carpet and in the Air Force, some of the energy used every day powers a multimillion dollar flightline and ensuring the mission is accomplished.

  • PACAF hosts Pacific Rim Air Power Symposium

    Pacific Air Forces hosted military leaders from 20 countries throughout the Pacific region during the annual Pacific Rim Air Power Symposium held here Sept. 22-25. The PACRIM Airpower Symposium, previously known as the PACAF Director of Operations Conference, builds and improves multilateral