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  • F-35A stealth brings flexibility to battlespace

    Stealth isn’t new to the Air Force. But, stealth combined with the multirole capabilities of the F-35A is proving to be a game changer in the Nevada desert.Units from across the Air Force have converged here for Red Flag 17-01, the Air Force’s premier air combat exercise, which pits a friendly force

  • F-35A, maintainers proving reliable at Red Flag

    When it comes to the F-35A, much is made of the edge its fifth-generation technology gives pilots, but America’s newest fighter aircraft is also proving capable in the hands of maintainers.

  • Presidential honor bestowed on Air Force officer

    When the President of the United States travels, stateside or abroad, there is an advance team who arrives weeks ahead to handle airport logistics. These team members, or agents, volunteer for the job and are the ‘best of the best’ at what they do. That is why Maj. Francisco "Cisco" Leach, deputy

  • Gunfighters: innovating since the beginning

    The 391st and 389th fighter squadrons are playing pivotal roles in Operation Inherent Resolve, the Air Force’s current mission in the Southwest Asia region. More than 800 Airmen from the two squadrons spent the better part of 2016 downrange supporting the world’s leading airpower in the war on

  • Reservists take on ‘enemy’ at F-35A Red Flag debut

    Nine Air Force Reserve F-35A pilots and 16 maintainers from the 419th Fighter Wing are taking on the world’s greatest aggressor fleet during Red Flag 17-1. The reservists joined about 200 personnel and 13 F-35A Lightning IIs from the active duty 388th FW to debut the Air Force’s newest fighter jet

  • Air Force ink: A cultural evolution

    Culture is an ever-changing manifestation of arts and intellect. It allows for people of all shapes, ethnicities and backgrounds alike to express themselves through tattoos where their pride, beliefs or imaginative elements are forever inked in their skin.For approximately 20 years, the Air Force

  • Red Flag proves ‘intense’ for F-35A pilots

    Red Flag 17-1 is living up to its reputation as a grueling and rigorous test of fighter pilot skills, according to Hill Air Force Base F-35A pilots participating in the premier air-to-air combat exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., from Jan. 23 to Feb. 10. The three-week exercise has friendly

  • EMS Airmen make sparks fly at Shaw

    Airmen assigned to the 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron metals technology laboratory are tasked with ensuring broken gear and tool parts such as bolts and gears are repaired or replaced, and are ready for reinstallation into numerous pieces of equipment around base.

  • 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. This new course is being held at the Air Force’s Advanced Maintenance and Munitions Operations School at Nellis Air Force Base.ASPC is a

  • ISR, Cyber coordinate capabilities for maximum effect at Red Flag

    Created in 1975, Red Flag was established by Gen. Robert J. Dixon, then commander of Tactical Air Command, to more realistically train forces for combat. This year’s first Red Flag, 17-1, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, has today’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance warriors thinking

  • Coronet Warrior exercise test aircrew, combat support deployed operations

    The 4th Fighter Wing conducted a base-wide employment exercise, Jan. 30-31, 2017, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina.More than 1,000 Airmen participated in the exercise, which was designed to simulate deployed operations in our current area of responsibility to test both the aircrew

  • Second chance to fly: Pilot, cancer survivor reunite after 28 years

    Marcus Foiles beamed with excitement as he piloted an A-10 in the skies over a virtual southern Arizona landscape. Foiles had been in a flight simulator before, but today was a whole new experience. The odds of him sitting where he was at that moment in time were immeasurable. The last time Foiles

  • 'Hush Houses' receive operational upgrades

    Moody’s 23d Component Maintenance Squadron’s test cell facility “hush houses” underwent upgrades to improve testing operations in support of the A-10C Thunderbolt II flying mission. A hush house is an enclosed environment that suppresses the sound of engines when tested for serviceability. The

  • Moody volunteers aid tornado relief efforts

    Airmen from Moody Air Force Base, Ga. teamed up with numerous community organizations and hundreds of other volunteers to aid in tornado relief efforts Jan. 28, in Adel. The tornado killed 15 people and was later confirmed by the National Weather Service an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, which is

  • EOD Airmen tidy up Poinsett

    A Humvee rolls onto the grounds of Poinsett Electronic Combat Range, Wedgefield, South Carolina. Airmen wearing explosive ordnance disposal patches on their shoulders step out of the vehicle.

  • Weapons Airmen enable joint training

    Weapons troops from the 74th Aircraft Maintenance Unit enabled joint force training during Green Flag-West 17-03, Jan. 13-27 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.GFW, an air-land combat integration exercise, provided these Airmen with a rare opportunity to put their home station training to use by allowing

  • F-35A Lightning maintenance sparks Red Flag 17-1

    The debut of the F-35A Lightning II at Red Flag has afforded the pilots and maintainers of the aircraft a chance to be a part of the Air Force's premier air-to-air combat training exercise.

  • A-10 pilots and Army brigade combat teams train at Green Flag 17-03

    Pilots from the 74th Fighter Squadron prepared for future deployments while participating in Green Flag-West 17-03, Jan. 13 - 27, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.GFW is an air-land integration exercise that gives Air Force pilots a chance to conduct realistic close air support in a joint training

  • Moody Consolidated Maintenance Squadron aims to raise the bar

    The 23d Component Maintenance Squadron, here, utilized the week of Jan. 23-27 to begin assessing ways to better support the A-10C Thunderbolt II’s increased flying mission.Representatives from Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va., and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., traveled to

  • New repair process offers success

    With the mission of the U.S. Air Force constantly evolving, the aircraft which keep that mission alive need to evolve as well.

  • LAST CALL: Physician Assistant Program seeks applicants by Jan. 30

    The Interservice Physician Assistant Program is accepting applications from active duty officers and enlisted Airmen through the end of January for the annual March selection boards. 1st Lt. Cindy Fernandez graduated from the program in October 2016. She was previously an enlisted member in

  • MQ-1 airstrike stops car bomb

    The MQ-1 Predator aircrew sat in the ground control station focused intently on their screens. Tension filled the air as they assessed the situation and began calculating the risks of destroying an armored vehicle suspected of carrying explosives. The remotely piloted aircraft crew started their

  • Hill's F-35As arrive for Red Flag 17-1

    Red Flag is a realistic combat exercise involving U.S. and allied air forces conducting training operation on the 15,000 square mile Nevada Test and Training Range. This will be the first time the F-35A has participates in a Red Flag exercise.

  • Eye in the sky: MQ-1, MQ-9s provide increased awareness

    Situational awareness is the ability to know what is happening around a person at any given time. This is especially important for military members, more specifically, troops on the ground. For the men and women operating MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, their skills of

  • Maintenance Airmen capitalize on Green Flag

    Airmen from the 23d Maintenance Group capitalized on an opportunity to prepare for future deployments during a two-week training exercise, Jan. 13-27, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.Green Flag-West 17-03, an air-land integration combat training exercise, hosted 12 A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft from

  • An up-close look at the 20th FW mission

    An Airman crawls in through the hatch of a vehicle and ducks into the darkness below. It is a confined space filled with buttons and knobs, switches and panels, each of them marked by a series of unknown symbols and strange lettering, and it smells like the inside of a military surplus store.Airmen

  • Munitions specialist exemplifies creative thinking

    Innovation isn’t a foreign concept in the Air Force. However, the 49th Maintenance Squadron Munitions Flight is taking the concept to the next level.Airman Phillip Tashash, a 49th MXS munitions specialist, took it upon himself to create an inventory accountability program to better track the

  • Red Flag evolves as ISR, cyber presence increases

    The silent warfighters of the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance and Cyber communities are honing their operational skills and testing new capabilities during Red Flag 17-1 at the Nevada Test and Training Range north of Las Vegas, yesterday through Feb. 10. Red Flag is a realistic combat

  • Red Flag's heartbeat: Core unit arrives at NAFB

    The 1st Fighter Wing’s air crews and support personnel out of Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, arrived at Nellis AFB, Nevada, Jan.17 and 18, 2017, to participate in Red Flag 17-1, as the exercise’s core unit.

  • Starting anew

    That with which I take issue is the tendency for folks to unncessarily constrain themselves to a predetermined start date, i.e. “The diet starts on Monday!” or “I’m going to begin saving money starting on the 1st of next month,” or “[insert cliché New Year’s Resolution here] on Janurary 1st!” Ugh.

  • Ready to defend

    In an open field at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, an Airman fends off attackers one by one while experiencing disorientation, shortness of breath and struggling to open his eyes through excruciating pain.

  • Tyndall aircrew flight equipment shop named best in Air Combat Command

    Keeping pilots safe during flight operations is the responsibility of a dedicated and efficient aircrew flight equipment shop, and being skilled enough to earn best in Air Combat Command is no small feat. Tyndall’s AFE shop earned the 2016 ACC Outstanding AFE Large Program of the Year Award and the

  • Airmen react to chemical dangers

    U.S. Airmen assigned to the 20th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department, explosive ordnance disposal flight and emergency management flight worked together with the 20th Aerospace Medicine Squadron bioenvironmental engineer flight to conquer a simulated chemical spill at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C.,

  • Lion 1 experiences inaugural Razor Talon flight

    The 4th Fighter Wing hosts a monthly low-cost, large-force training exercise for aviation units along the East Coast. Capt. Michael Piazza, 335th Fighter Squadron weapons systems officer, flew in the backseat of Col. Christopher Sage's, 4th FW commander, F-15E Strike Eagle who participated in his

  • Hill fighter wings first to bring F-35A to Red Flag

    Pilots and maintainers from the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings deployed the F-35A Lightning II to Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Jan. 20.This is the first deployment to Red Flag for the F-35A and the first large movement since the Air Force declared the jet combat ready in August 2016.Red Flag is the

  • Sextortion: Don’t become victims

    Sextortion. Lately, this word seems to keep popping up in emails and articles -- Military Times recently reported an increase in Sextortion among military members.

  • USAF fighter jets practice for inauguration flyover

    Four U.S. Air Force fighter jets practice for the inauguration flyover at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Jan. 19, 2017.Two generations of fighter aircraft are scheduled to fly in a close formation during the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump at the capitol in Washington, District

  • Catfishing: Don’t get lured in

    Dating in today’s technologically savvy world seems to have become less personal. In many cases, finding someone to spend time with might be based on information obtained through dating websites, phone calls, texts, chats and instant messages. The big question amidst the barrage of electronic

  • Air Force faces fighter pilot shortage

    The Air Force is in the midst of a pilot shortage. While most platforms are affected by the shortage, the fighter pilot community has been hit the hardest.

  • 4th CES EOD employs new 3-D printing capability

    In 2014, the Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal community identified the need for a unit-level additive manufacturing, or 3-D printing, capability in order to accomplish two objectives: to field low-cost training aids and to obtain rare or specialized EOD tools.

  • EC-130s maintain constant presence in Afghanistan 15 years later

    All around the dimly-lit tent are enduring symbols of a constant presence. A name scrawled across a wooden wall, a lengthy list of deployment dates written underneath, updated year after year. A library stacked with books and games to pass the time. A built-in couch labeled “Snooze Town.” All the

  • AF selects Shaw AFB as the preferred location to host a new RPA unit

    The Air Force has selected Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, as the preferred location to base a new MQ-9 Reaper group, including mission control elements.  Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona; Moody AFB, Georgia; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; and Offutt AFB, Nebraska, were named as reasonable alternatives

  • USAFWS: Defensive counter air

    The U.S. Air Force Weapons School serves as the pinnacle for advanced weapons training and tactics employment. The USAFWS accepts only the top weapons officers and enlisted specialist applicants to participate in its graduate-level curriculum, which is capped off by a two-week staged battle known as

  • Beale tests readiness during active shooter exercise

    The 9th Reconnaissance Wing held an active shooter exercise Jan. 13. The exercise tested the response of individuals and units on base. 9th Security Forces Squadron Airmen apprehended the suspect and once the area was secure first responders moved in to treat the simulated victims.

  • New year, new Sentry – DRAGON

    The first E-3 Sentry aircraft with the glass flight deck modification known as DRAGON (Diminishing Manufacturing Sources Replacement of Avionics for Global Operations and Navigation) arrived at Tinker Jan. 9.

  • AF boosts environment with plant relocation

    Volunteers helped the 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron relocate pollinator plants from the Bethel Park Pollinator Garden to the nature trail on Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. Once an old dumping ground, the pollinator garden was installed at Bethel Park in 2014 in accordance with the National

  • Moody Airmen depart for Green Flag-West

    Airmen and aircraft assigned to the 74th Fighter Squadron and the 74th Aircraft Maintenance Unit departed Thursday for a two-week long exercise at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. Approximately 200 Airmen and 12 A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft will participate in Green Flag-West 17-03. The exercise

  • Airmen remain prepared, conduct active shooter exercise

    Current terrorism and active shooter events dominate news headlines worldwide on a daily basis. To prepare and test the response efforts of Airmen in dangerous situations, the 4th Security Forces Squadron conducted a planned active shooter exercise the morning of Jan. 11.In the beginning stages of

  • Airman carves out passion, boosts morale

    Growing up in a family of tradesmen, Nicholas learned the value of working with his hands at a young age. As the son of a construction worker and the grandson of a carpenter, he became inspired by their work and ventured to become just as self-sufficient as they were. While Nicholas is skilled in

  • Airmen perform bodywork, ensure capable aircraft

    Sandpaper scrapes along the wing of an MQ-9 Reaper. Debris drifts to the ground. The smell of chemical agents saturate the air. Squeals from an F-16 Fighting Falcon engine fill the temperature-controlled back shop. But, the Airmen are focused. There’s a job to be done – and it has to be done

  • Airmen fuel the fight

    A group of F-16CM Fighting Falcons take off from the foggy flightline. They soar above the clouds and into the airspace over the Atlantic Ocean, heading east until they can no longer see the land behind them. Despite the meticulous checklists run on aircraft before they take flight, the jets are

  • Wrestling with a deployment

    Staff Sgt. Raymond Drummer II, and his son Josiah Drummer, share a passion for the sport of wrestling. This passion serves as a link between father and son while Raymond Drummer II, 9th Maintenance Squadron aircraft fuels systems craftsman, is deployed to Southwest Asia with the 380th Expeditionary

  • Control tower tracks missions, ensures sky safety

    U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Chino Ross, right, 1st Operations Support Squadron air traffic controller, trains Senior Airman Patrick Taylor, 1st OSS air traffic controller, on air traffic control tower practices at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., Dec. 16, 2016. Patrick recently completed upgrade

  • Upgrade advances A-10s search capability

    A-10C Thunderbolt IIs assigned to active duty fighter squadrons here are in the process of having new lightweight airborne recovery systems installed.The LARS V-12 is designed to allow A-10 pilots to communicate more effectively with individuals on the ground such as downed pilots, pararescuemen and

  • AF partners with NASA for mission success

    Developed in the mid 1990’s by the NASA Geographic Information System office, the Flood Impact Analysis Tool illustrates the effects of localized tidal storm flooding. Through a partnership with NASA, the 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron at Langley Air Force Base benefits from the multi-functioning

  • Airmen improve PFA scores, promote culture of fitness

    A heavy emphasis has been placed on health factors affecting Service member’s ability to pass the PFA. The nation as a whole has allocated more research and funding than ever before to target obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Recent data shows approximately eight percent of military members

  • Wintertime just makes me S.A.D.

    It’s a common phenomenon that around this time of year many people begin to feel pretty down-in-the-dumps. Could it be the approaching holidays and the associated busy schedules and travel? Maybe the prospect of having to spend time with distant family members? Or an after-effect of having piled on

  • Mission continues through Christmas

    Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan continues to operate missions during Christmas day.F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot's with the 79th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, supported combat missions that totaled 679 missions were handled by airfield operations that day.Capt. Ashton, an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot

  • Operation Assist Santa

    All Holloman Air Force Base Airmen have been called upon once more to aid Santa during his deliveries throughout the Southwestern United States.Airmen prepare to help Santa on Christmas Eve with the base’s three primary aircraft; the F-16 Fighting Falcon, MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper.

  • Final flight farewells Phantom

    Lt. Col. Ronald King, her pilot, grinned and eased her forward on the way into history. Today was 21 December. This was the final flight of the QF-4 Phantom – the final flight of AF 349 – and after 53 dedicated years of superior service, the final flight of the Phantom II would be done right.

  • Airman finds potential through EPR

    Enlisted performance reports have the power to affect an Airmen’s career. For one Airman, an EPR had the power to change how he saw his life. Staff Sgt. Preston Moten, 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment schedule and training monitor, said the rating from his first EPR

  • CSR Airmen prepare to deploy

    Airmen from the 41st Rescue Squadron conducted preparative ‘spin-up’ training Dec. 5-15 at Avon Park Air Force Range, Fla.The spin-up training involved Moody Airmen leaving the base to coordinate operations between Patrick AFB and Avon Park.

  • PoinT: smarter operations for the 53rd WEG

    Members the 53rd Weapon Evaluations Group leadership met Dec. 16, 2016, to discuss the group’s newest initiative that uses innovative problem solving to help streamline their mission.

  • USNDC Director briefs U.S. Energy Secretary, CTBTO Executive Secretary

    At an event held Nov. 30 in Washington, D.C., the director of the U.S. National Data Center here briefed high-ranking members of the U.S. and international communities about the Air Force Technical Applications Center's involvement in nuclear treaty monitoring verification.

  • Wreaths Across America: SJ honors fallen

    Airmen from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, along with Wayne County community members participated in an annual wreath laying ceremony at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery for Wreaths Across America Day, Dec. 17, 2016.

  • Multinational paratroopers fill NC skies

    North Carolina’s skies were filled with 4,000 paratroopers across the world during the 19th annual Randy Oler Memorial Operation Toy Drop.Every year, the Fort Bragg, N.C. community begins celebrating the holiday early by inviting their coalition partners to participate in the world’s largest annual

  • Checkered Flag 17-1 complete

    The 325th Air Expeditionary Wing, comprised of various maintenance, logistics readiness, and fighter squadrons, completed its mission of simulating a large-scale aerial total force integration exercise Dec. 5-16, 2016. Involving more than 90 aircraft and more than 800 personnel, Checkered Flag 17-1

  • Airmen collaborate across states, keep aircraft aloft

    Team work between two units located at two separate bases keep the 4th Fighter Wing's F-15E Strike Eagles ready for whatever missions come the wing's way.Seymour Johnson AFB and Robins AFB, Georgia, demonstrate the meaning of team work through the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex's programmed

  • USAFWS Class 16-B executes JFEX

    Joint forcible entry is a U.S. Air Force Weapons School large-scale air mobility exercise in which participants plan and execute a complex air-land operation in a simulated contested battlefield.

  • 41st HMU supports ‘spin-up’ exercise

    Airmen from the 41st Helicopter Maintenance Unit worked around the clock to ensure aircraft were combat ready during a pre-deployment "spin-up"exercise Dec. 5 through 15.

  • Scoping it out: Shaw evaluated for Reaper mission

    Teams from Air Combat Command and Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, conducted a site survey here Dec. 13, to assess the base as a candidate for an MQ-9 Reaper mission.Shaw AFB, South Carolina, is one of four installations being evaluated for a wing-level mission, and one of five in the running for

  • Tactical aircraft maintainers inspect F-16s

    U.S. Air Force tactical aircraft maintainers assigned to the 20th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron spend their shift doing a variety of tasks to ensure Shaw’s F-16CM Fighting Falcons are operational and their pilots are safe.

  • Global Sync focused on improving 480th Airmen’s quality of life

    Commanders and senior enlisted leaders from the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing gathered for a Global Sync conference at the 169th Intelligence Squadron in Salt Lake City, Dec. 5-9, 2016.Global Sync is a four-day conference that allows all 480th ISRW and group leaders to

  • Active duty, Guard, Reserve integrate during Checkered Flag 17-1

    At Checkered Flag 17-1, legacy and fifth-generation fighter jet integration creates aggressive and advanced training opportunities. But another integration is happening just below the surface, ensuring multiple Air Force components, receive the same vital learning opportunities.

  • Airmen develop new, original delivery approach

    The 355th Logistics Readiness Squadron devised a new method that has changed its efficiency of delivering supplies to more than 250 organizations. The approach of tracking deliveries through Wi-Fi developed when 355th LRS personnel discovered they were spending too much time finding signatures that

  • Tyndall Munitions Flight keeps Checkered Flag 17-1 armed and ready

    The Airmen of the 325th Maintenance Squadron Munitions Flight, commonly known as “Ammo,” handle, store and transport weapons systems for use in achieving Tyndall’s mission to train and project unrivaled combat air power. For two weeks in December, Tyndall projected a different kind of combat air

  • Hellcats distinguish good from bad for military aviators

    In their mission to protect and defend the United States from adversaries, military aviators need assistance determining if assets they encounter are friend or foe. The Hellcats of the 57th Intelligence Squadron are the experts who help aviation warfighters know the difference.

  • Fick, acquisition pros from Pentagon tour WR-ALC

    As the surrey rolled past stripped-down F-15 fuselages and busy aircraft maintenance hangars, an appreciative smile came across the visitor’s face. “This is so much better than being in the Acquistition conference room,” Col. Matthew Bonavita said, rising from his seat to step out onto

  • Deploy-in-place Airmen learn to THRIVE

    The Airmen of the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group have a unique mission which requires them to ‘deploy’ on a daily basis. Adding to the stress of being ‘deployed in place,’ the Airmen are in an Air Force community located on an Army installation working with a National

  • Daughter’s school assignment puts family into unintended spotlight

    When Lance Willoughby’s daughter asked him to help with a school assignment, he was more than willing to provide the information she needed through text messages. Little did he know, she would post his comments on Twitter for the world to see. And see, they did. Her post has 19,452 likes and 9,879

  • Airmen, civilians gain resilience through MMA

    As an Ultimate Fighting Championship athlete gets his hands wrapped and steps into the cage for battle, a cold chill runs down his spine; he’s nervous about the challenge ahead.Comparable to UFC fighters preparing for combat, Airmen may get a similar feeling whether preparing for upcoming