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U.S. Air Force News

  • Nominations open for 2017 American Legion Spirit of Service Award

    Air Force officials are accepting nominations for the 2017 American Legion Spirit of Service Award which is presented annually to one enlisted member from the active and reserve components who demonstrated outstanding volunteer service in their local community.

  • AF offers new 2-year degree program for civilians

    The Air Force is expanding development opportunities for the civilian workforce by offering an associate degree at little to no cost.Graduates of the online program will be awarded an Associate of Applied Science in Air Force leadership and management studies. The 60-credit hour program is

  • AF releases undergraduate flying training selections

    The Air Force has selected 100 company grade officers for its 2017 Undergraduate Flying Training program. The UFT annual selection board convened at the Air Force Personnel Center Jan. 23-26 to consider active-duty candidates for pilot, remotely piloted aircraft pilot, combat systems officer and air

  • Nominations sought for 2017 First Sergeant of the Year

    Air Force officials are seeking nominations for the 2017 First Sergeant of the Year award.The award recognizes the important contributions and leadership qualities exhibited by Air Force members in the first sergeant special duty career field.

  • AETC’s 75th Anniversary and the birth of a professional Air Force

    On Jan. 23, 2017, Air Education and Training Command celebrated its 75th anniversary — a date much more important in our nation’s heritage than a simple mark in time. Jan. 23, 1942, proved to be the birth of a professional Air Force – men and women precisely selected and trained to fly, fight and

  • AETC loads, releases first live bombs from F-35A

    The 33rd Fighter Wing loaded and released the Air Education and Training Command’s first live bombs from an F-35A here, Jan. 17, 2017.In total, six aircraft were loaded with armed GBU-12s, and two bombs were released over the Eglin Air Force Base range.

  • James awards Maxwell Airman two Silver Stars

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James spent her final day in office honoring an Airman here Jan. 19, 2017.Before a packed auditorium of base leadership, River Region community leaders and Air University students, James presented two Silver Star medals to Col. Christopher Barnett for his actions in

  • AFPC to host EFMP webinars Jan. 12

    The Air Force Personnel Center will hold two Exceptional Family Member Program webinars Jan. 12 discussing the program’s three components – assignments, medical and family support.

  • AF selects 929 for promotion to captain

    The Air Force selected 929 first lieutenants for promotion to captain during the calendar year 2016C Captain Line of the Air Force, Chaplain, Line of the Air Force-Judge Advocate, Nurse Corps, Medical Service Corps and Biomedical Service Corps quarterly selection process.

  • Life after loss: One Air Force family’s journey to recovery

    In March 2016, Lt. Col. Melchizedek “Kato” Martinez, a career tactical communications officer, was welcomed home from another combat deployment, a constant in the Martinez family. His wife, Gail, along with their four children, had planned a family retreat to their second home, the one place that,

  • AF selects 58 for test pilot school

    Air Force officials have selected 58 primary and alternate students for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Naval Test Pilot schools, with classes beginning June 2017.

  • Civilian tuition assistance increases to $1M, expands eligibility

    The Air Force has received an additional $400,000, for a total of $1 million, for its 2017 civilian tuition assistance program, and all permanent, full-time appropriated fund employees, including those in wage-grade positions, are now eligible to participate.

  • 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.

  • 2016 Federal Benefits Open Season runs through Dec. 12

    The Office of Personnel Management has set the dates for the 2016 Federal Benefits Open Season from Nov. 14 through Dec 12, which includes the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance program (FEDVIP) and the Federal Flexible Spending Accounts

  • Air Force promotions eliminates time-in-grade, time-in-service points

    Time-in-grade and time-in-service points in active duty enlisted promotion consideration will be eliminated beginning with the 17E7 master sergeant promotion cycle, and all future promotion cycles, the Air Force recently announced. This is the final step in a gradual reduction of points for TIG/TIS

  • Around the Air Force: Nov. 8

    On this look around the Air Force enlisted pilots take their first solo flight and a World War II bomber pilot is awarded the Silver Star.

  • AF selects 720 civilians for developmental education

    More than 700 Air Force civilian employees were selected for basic, intermediate and senior developmental education opportunities during the 2016 Civilian Developmental Education Board held at the Air Force Personnel Center in September.

  • 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,

  • Air Force Junior ROTC partners up with AFA for StellarXplorer competition

    The Air Force Association is striving to increase participation in its third annual StellarXplorers competition this year by teaming up with the Air Force Junior ROTC headquarters. The new partnership will introduce the event to almost four times as many students compared to previous years.

  • Randolph remembers Doolittle Raid’s impact on WWII

    The Doolittle Raiders were honored at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, April 18 during a ceremony marking the 74th anniversary of their Tokyo raid during World War II. Retired Lt. Col. Dick Cole, a co-pilot in Doolittle’s bomber and one of two surviving Raiders, was in attendance and recalled

  • Passion vs. priorities

    Physical fitness doesn’t come easy for everyone -- sometimes the drive to finish one more repetition or set a new personal best just doesn’t cut it. For 1st Lt. Christian Torres, having the spirit to stay mentally and physically strong when going through adversity is not just found in the gym, it’s

  • James announces Office of Energy Assurance

    Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James announced the establishment of the Air Force Office of Energy Assurance and conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland March 22.

  • C-17 Airmen expand global reach

    Forging combat mobility forces is something that the aircrew instructors of the C-17 Globemaster III take extremely serious, but that mission is not just limited to skies over the U.S. A team of Airmen from Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, recently spent two

  • CCAF breaks record for 6th consecutive year

    The Community College of the Air Force awarded 23,206 associate of applied science degrees in 2015, breaking the record for number of graduates for the sixth consecutive year.

  • A shared love, goal, mission

    Since beginning their careers in 2005, Majs. Regina Wall and Jared Wall have shared almost every duty station and multiple deployments together.

  • Army, Air Force collaborate on education, innovation

    Gen. David G. Perkins, the commanding general of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), visited officials from Air Education and Training Command Jan. 7-8 to collaborate with Air Force leaders on advancing education and innovation within the respective military services.

  • Time with MAJCOM commanders at the four-star forum

    Members of the Air Force, Air Force Association and defense industry were invited to a Q-and-A session with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III, Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James M. Cody and several major command commanders during a four-star forum at the AFA Air and Space

  • BLUE: Katrina, 10 years later

    Ten years ago, the Airmen of Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, faced one of the greatest tests of the American spirit as Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast. Where there were once hopes and dreams, Katrina left devastation and destruction. But through the wreckage of it all, the survivors

  • SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF present new "little blue book"

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody delivered the initial handout of the pamphlet, “America’s Air Force: A Profession of Arms,” Aug. 27 to the Air Force’s newest Airmen at Airmen’s Week.

  • Air Force upgrades 100-year-old technology

    The implementation of a new simulator, the GYRO Integrated Physiological Trainer II, into Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training, will allows students to receive spatial disorientation training in a realistic platform before ever entering a real aircraft.

  • Maintainers extend life of T-38 Talon

    The Air Force's trusted trainer, the T-38 Talon, has a new lease on life thanks to a robust structural-modification program. Technicians in the Ogden Air Logistics Complex's 575th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, recently completed the first aircraft in the

  • Airman keeps San Antonio, Laughlin safe

    Last year in San Antonio, just a couple of hours down the road from Laughlin Air Force Base, more than 1,600 arrests were made. Of those arrests, more than 580 were gang related and more than 200 firearms were taken off the streets. The credit for pushing gangs off of "military city's" streets goes

  • Luke's 56th Fighter Wing has new mission

    Luke Air Force Base's 56th Fighter Wing conducted a change of mission ceremony May 21, formally including the F-35 Lightning II as part of the wing's new mission statement.

  • AFIMSC activates AETC detachment

    The third of 10 Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC) detachments was activated in a ceremony here May 6.

  • AF Safety Center sponsors Fall Protection Focus weeks

    Air Force Ground Safety is sponsoring Fall Protection Focus weeks from May 4-15. This initiative is a partnership with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's campaign, "National Safety Stand-Down."

  • Military child to AF leader

    From his cradle in a small village in western Germany to the position of the 81st Training Wing commander, Brig. Gen. Patrick Higby has learned the value of being a military child and the resources available to others who have grown up in the military life.

  • AFIMSC vice commander speaks at commanders’ school

    The vice commander of the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center spoke to a class of Air Force leaders attending the Commanders' Professional Development School at Air University April 20 on how the new center will provide installation and mission support programs and services.

  • Orthotic tech helps military working dog walk again

    Army Maj. Andrea Henderson, the veterinarian at the Department of Defense Holland Military Working Dog (MWD) Hospital here, first started treating SStash last October. A degenerative disease had led to one of SStash's hind legs needing surgery.

  • 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.”

  • What it takes to be a boom operator

    Boom operators on an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker have the ability to pump thousands of pounds of fuel to any capable aircraft, thousands of feet above the ground, flying at 200 knots, all while only 47 feet from colliding into each other. However, before any of this is possible, they had to go

  • AF announces OTS rated selection board results

    A total of 228 men and women from across America have earned an opportunity to become Air Force leaders following their selection for an officer's commission, officials announced March 20.

  • CMSAF inspires future leaders during Academy visit

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody kicked off the Air Force Academy's 2015 National Character and Leadership Symposium by showcasing the enlisted Airmen cadets will lead as officers once they graduate, and reminding them of the importance of leadership in the profession of arms.

  • Air Force BMT introduces innovative Capstone Week

    Air Force basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph-Lackland will soon restructure its current eight-and-a-half-week course to make room for a new five-day program called Capstone Week, beginning Jan. 27 with trainees entering BMT.

  • Academy Airman helps Afghan interpreter start new life in US

    Master Sgt. Michael Simon, now an Academy Military Trainer for Cadet Squadron 16, began a year-long deployment in June 2011 at Shindand Air Base, Afghanistan as a Mi-17 crew chief air adviser, where he relied heavily on Afghan interpreters to stay alive and accomplish the mission of training Afghan

  • Dreams come true for Italian Airman

    Sono un aviatore Americano. When translated, these words represent the bridge between two disparate lives for Dimas Bernacchia -- the life of an Italian immigrant and the life of an American Airman.

  • Luke returns F-16Ds to flight after longeron repair

    Aircraft maintainers at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona and Hill AFB, Utah, have been working on getting F-16D Fighting Falcons back into the air since mid-October and are nearing completion of repairs on 32 of Luke's F-16D aircraft .

  • Airmen disarm potential threat, earn medals for courage

    For most Airmen, parties can be a time to unwind after a long week, but for two 82nd Security Forces Squadron entry controllers, unwinding had to be pushed aside when a highly intoxicated Airman brandished a loaded pistol in the dormitory, creating a dangerous environment.

  • Air Force pilot develops plan to reduce jet fuel consumption

    The Air Force spends more than $9 billion annually on energy. Aviation consumes 86 percent of that amount. In support of the Air Force Energy Strategic Plan to foster an energy aware culture and reduce aviation fuel consumption, an instructor pilot from the 5th Flying Training Squadron has

  • Native American legacy of honor, dedication

    During November, the nation pays homage to the contributions of Native Americans throughout history. On Aug. 3, 1990, President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution designating November as National American Indian Heritage Month, thereafter commonly referred to as Native American Heritage

  • Vance flight simulators go HD

    Instead of flying in a computer-generated world reminiscent of a Windows 95 graphics reproduction, Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training students will take to the simulated blue skies in high definition, beginning Oct 27.

  • T-38 pilot receives highest aviation safety award

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III presented the service's top safety award, the Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy, to a pilot from Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, during a ceremony Oct. 8, at the Pentagon.

  • Altus AFB Airmen deliver aid to Liberia

    Ten Airmen from the 97th Air Mobility Wing here, delivered humanitarian and medical supplies to Liberia Sept. 25 - Oct. 3, in support of Operation United Assistance to provide aid to the Ebola stricken region.

  • CMSAF discusses future, heritage during visit to Columbus AFB

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Cody and his wife, retired Chief Master Sgt. Athena Cody, visited Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, Sept. 24-25, taking time to meet with Airmen and discuss several of the Air Force's current hot topics.

  • Altus AFB produces mission capable boom operators

    For the past 16 years, the 97th Air Mobility Wing has been the only schoolhouse for training initial KC-135 Stratotanker boom operator students, which trains around 265 Airmen and international students a year.

  • 19th AF activates under AETC

    The Air Education and Training Command will re-activate a streamlined 19th Air Force Oct. 1, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas.