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  • Civil Air Patrol celebrates 80th anniversary

    Civil Air Patrol members throughout the United States and in overseas squadrons are celebrating the organization’s commitment to community service today — a commitment that began Dec. 1, 1941, and has continued for 80 years.

  • Carrying on the fight

    Deployed members participated in the 2021 Al Udeid Air Base Suicide Awareness Challenge at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Nov. 22, 2021. This event tested participant’s resiliency, brought attention to suicide among military members and emphasized that reaching out for help is a sign of strength.

  • For the Last Time

    U.S. Air Force Capt. Katie Lunning was halfway through her first deployment as a Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) nurse when evacuation operations out of Afghanistan began.

  • 363d ISR Wing NCO action’s saves life from potential fire

    (Editor’s Note: The last name and location of the Airmen in this article has been withheld for operational security purposes.)As she was on her way to work with her daughter, one Airman from an undisclosed location, noticed an odd reflection on a house ahead. As she got closer, she saw smoke and was

  • From crash to recovery: Pilot, maintainers show resilience

    A pilot climbs into the cockpit of an aircraft, which looked much different than it did on the day a catastrophic gun malfunction stopped the landing gear from deploying and ripped off the canopy mid-flight. On a basic surface attack in 2020 Capt. Bye, 75th Fighter Squadron chief of standardization

  • Defender balances cultures, career

    Two cultures. Two military branches. Two degrees. These are just some of the attributes and achievements of Tech. Sgt. Madia Daniel, a first generation Liberian American who applied the lessons from her immigrant family to succeed while having joy. These pursuits are inspired by her parents’

  • Jammers celebrate 40 years with EC-130 Compass Call

    The 55th Electronic Combat Group celebrated 40 years of the EC-130 Compass Call program with a celebration hosted by the 55th Wing Association October 15-16, 2021. The EC-130 Compass Call operates under the 55th ECG here as a geographically separated unit of the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, Nebraska.

  • Change your mindset, change your life

    This is part of the story of Airman 1st Class Jessica Briggs, and how her strong and tenacious character has led and influenced her career to be a member of the 386th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron Services Flight.

  • 379th EFSS serves Afghanistan evacuees

    The 379th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron is generally best known for providing services that help maintain the morale and welfare of deployed service members at Al Udeid Air Base, including running facilities such as the base’s five dining facilities, lodging, several gyms, community centers,

  • 379th ESFS FAST; the “Elite-21”

    The 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Fly Away Security Team is a unique group of 21 Airmen who provide discreet, low-visibility security that ensures protection for U.S. Air Force aircraft transiting in airfields where security is unknown or deemed inadequate to counter local threats.

  • Airman's heritage supports POW/MIA mission

    The U.S. Air Force has many opportunities for Airmen to develop skills they already have. From the Air Force Credentialing Opportunities On-Line Program to the Air Force Digital University, there is an Air Force education program out there for everyone to help discover or enhance these skills.

  • Tigers selected for Thunderbirds

    When the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, take to the skies in 2022, three of the officers leading the team will be from the Air Force's top air dominance squadron in 2020, the 79th Fighter Squadron from Shaw Air Force Base.

  • Suicide prevention: Together in this fight

    “Depression is not open weeping or purely suicidal ideation. Sometimes depression is a mask; someone goes to work, acts normal and then goes back to their dorm, apartment or house and sits down and does nothing until bedtime, rinse and repeat the entire process.”

  • History 72 Years in the making: 1949 First Aerial Gunnery Competition

    Seventy-two years ago, and one year after racial integration of the Armed Forces, four pilots took to the skies in P-47 Thunderbolts to compete in a first of its kind Air Force competition. Even though their aerial adversary, the much newer P-51 Mustang, was formidable, these four men had already

  • Commentary - Welcoming Afghan evacuees: What it means to me

    August 2020 will be forever etched into the minds of military individuals who have deployed to Afghanistan over the last 20 years in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. With the close of operations in Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, several people have asked me, “What do you think about Afghan

  • A Proclamation on National POW/MIA Recognition Day, 2021

    On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, we remember the debt we owe to them and to their families. We pay tribute to our former prisoners of war and recommit to the difficult but essential task of seeking out answers for the families of those still missing. We will always remember and honor our

  • Heartland of America Band: Soothing the savage beast

    One of the most famous members of the Army Air Force Band is Maj. Glenn Miller from the swing era. Volunteering to entertain the troops during World War II, he joined in 1942. He formed a 50-piece band that performed approximately 800 times until his disappearance, when he was declared missing in

  • United we stand

    A total of 2,996 individuals were lost on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Twenty years ago, the day started off as any other. In New York City, the sky was blue and cloudless, the temperature in the mid-sixties and the city bustling with its normal morning commute. Ferries, taxis, subways and air

  • Sentry pilot crosses 8,000 flight hour mark concluding year-long deployment

    U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Brian “20” Hardeman spent the last year at ADAB, helping lead the operations group through the challenges of the pandemic and the drawdown and non-combatant evacuation operations in Afghanistan, while concurrently meeting the daily requirements in support of U.S. Central

  • Command chief reflects on Red Tails connection

    When Chief Master Sgt. Charles Jackson Jr., 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group superintendent, in-processed with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing on August 6, 2021, he officially became a part of the Red Tails family. However, his ties to the legendary 332nd preceded his arrival by decades with

  • Airmen reunite Afghanistan evacuees with family

    Al Udeid became the main hub for evacuees coming from Afghanistan and was quickly inundated with thousands of people leaving Afghanistan. For some service members, it can be hard to see how each individual impacts the mission, especially from their home station. However, a crisis situation can have

  • Keep safety in mind as summer ends

    The long Labor Day weekend marks the traditional end of summer and offers many service members, civilians and their families the final opportunity to take to the highways and byways for a summertime adventure. Emphasis on managing risk is key, not only for a holiday weekend that historically

  • National Suicide Prevention Month

    Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, in conjunction with the Department of Defense, is promoting National Suicide Prevention Month to educate the military community about suicide prevention, resources and steps everyone can take to protect one another against suicide.

  • Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over; avoiding DUIs saves lives

    According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, every day roughly 28 people die in accidents involving drivers who were under the influence or while intoxicated. That statistic equates to about one loss of life every 52 minutes.

  • SJAFB pilot selected for USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds

    The United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, selected Capt. Lauren Schlichting, 333rd Fighter Squadron evaluating pilot and executive officer, at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, to join their team. Schlichting is set to fly Thunderbird 3, becoming the

  • Reconnaissance Dominance for 108 years and counting

    National Aviation Day acknowledges the history of American aviation.  It's a day to recognize how far the United States has come in the last century. One way to highlight these accomplishments is recognizing the technological breakthroughs of the U.S. Air Force.

  • The Initial Perception

    There are many common sayings that go along with how important the first impression you leave on someone is. No matter the circumstances for someone’s behavior, on any particular day, there is no way to reverse that initial interaction, conversation, attitude, etc. For this reason, and many more,

  • CY22 selection board schedule helps shape force

    The Department of the Air Force recently published the Calendar Year 2022 Air Force and Space Force Selection Board schedules, identifying when thousands of Airmen and Guardians will compete for promotion, helping shape and develop the force.

  • Survivors of human trafficking recount experiences, provide advice

    The Combating Trafficking in Persons Program Management Office recently stood up a website featuring videos called "Survivor Voices of Human Trafficking." In the videos, survivors discuss what they wish they had done differently and how others could have helped.

  • Wounded warriors share message of resilience in Florida

    On the day a bullet tore through his legs inside an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. August O’Niell, 414th Combat Training Squadron Detachment 1 flight chief in charge of ground operations at Davis-Monthan, Air Force Base, Arizona, said his world changed. Maj. Marie Perkins,

  • Airman weaves new use for plastic

    Helping your community can come in many shapes and sizes, for Tech. Sgt. Sonya Gore, 20th Communications Squadron radio frequency transmissions section chief, it comes through finding a creative way to reuse plastic.

  • Soto’s story: Overcoming pain and finding purpose

    As Tyndall evolves into the “Installation of the Future,” the base is working with thousands of contractors, vendors, and other guests who are assisting in the rebuild process. One of the first faces they see at Tyndall’s visitor’s center is Airman 1st Class Jocelyne Soto. Soto made the decision to

  • Family Traditions: A Raduege family Chat

    What are family traditions and how can they shape an individual’s future? We had the opportunity to sit down with one family, where traditions have been the backbone of their lives and careers. Sharing their experiences, Brig. Gen. Chad D. Raduege, and his father Retired Lt. Gen. Harry D. Raduege

  • Off-duty SJAFB IDMT uses CPR to save a life

    For some people leaving work is the end of their duty day. No more thinking about work, just enjoying their time off. For Staff Sgt. Jon Paul Fitzgerald, 336th Fighter Squadron independent duty medical technician, or IDMT, that was not the case.

  • CSAF commemorates victory at Yorktown with French allies

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. and French Air and Space Force Chief of Staff General Phillippe LaVigne, gathered at the Yorktown Victory Monument today to lay a commemorative wreath marking 240-years of the siege of Yorktown.

  • Moody hosts Airman professional enhancement seminar

    Twenty-two Airmen from various career fields across the base attended a professional enhancement seminar at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, June 29 to July 1, 2021. Facilitators from various units visited the seminar to discuss Enlisted Force Structure, effective communication, bullet gathering and

  • COMACC celebrates year with 20th MXG

    Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, and Chief Master Sgt. David Wade, Command Chief of Air Combat Command, joined 20th MXG Airmen for the 2021 Maintenance Professional of the Year banquet after a Shaw AFB immersion.

  • Memorial service honors fallen Khobar Towers Airmen

    Members from the 71st Rescue Squadron, 38th RQS and 41st RQS from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, came together at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, to memorialize the 25th anniversary of the Khobar Towers bombing, hosted by the 920th Rescue Wing, June 25, 2021.

  • PTSD, What You Should Know

    According to the National Center for PTSD-Department of Veterans Affairs, PTSD is a mental health issue that one may develop after witnessing or experiencing a life-threatening event such as a natural disaster, combat, sexual assault, or car accident. They also specify that anyone can develop PTSD

  • USAF Officer’s Passion Rooted Life-Long Values

    As a cheerleader, game nights were where the gridiron battles erupted for 1st Lt. Haley McClain Hill, 9th Maintenance Squadron (MXS) section commander, and has provided many values she still carries with her today as a United States Air Force (USAF) officer. Three years after leaving Atlanta for

  • F-35 Demo Team meets F135 Engine Team

    Members of the F-35A Lightning II Demonstration Team visited Tinker Air Force Base to meet and thank the men and women of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex Heavy Maintenance Center for their work on the F135 engine that powers their aircraft.

  • Air Force’s last serving POW retires

    “I thought to myself ‘this is it - I’m a dead man.’” As Lt. Col. Rob Sweet, the last serving Air Force prisoner of war, approached retirement on June 6, he recalled the moment during Operation Desert Storm when his A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft was shot down by enemy forces southwest of Basra, Iraq.

  • The 4th Fighter Group on D-Day

    Sunday 6 June 2021 marks 77 years since D-Day, a pivotal event in World War II. At 2300 hours on 5 June 1944, Colonel Don Blakeslee briefed the 4th Fighter Group pilots on the D-Day operations the next day. Blakeslee emphasized it was going to be a long, tough day with the Group flying three sorties

  • Airman’s Foundational Competencies: An Air Force Initiative

    In this episode of The Air Force Starts Here podcast, we explore the Airman’s Foundational Competencies. The Air Force has identified 24 Airman’s foundational competencies for all Airmen, as part of a systematic competency-based approach to develop the force. In to episode 51 of "The Air Force

  • Two off-duty 64th AEG Airmen aid motorcyclist after collision

    Two Airmen deployed with First Air Force (1AF) 64th Air Expeditionary Group (AEG) in support of federal COVID-19 response efforts aided a motorcyclist following a collision on May 22, 2021, in Pine Township, Ind. The Airmen were off-duty from the state-led, federally supported Roosevelt High School

  • Risk Management - the key to a safe and enjoyable summer

    The Department of the Air Force reminds Airmen and Guardians to apply sound risk management when enjoying outdoor and recreational activities with family and friends this summer. The summer focus period runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

  • Ruck march honors fallen police officers at the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing

    U.S. President John F. Kennedy named the week in May where the 15th falls, National Police Week, where law enforcement officers who have fallen in the line of duty are honored for their sacrifice. U.S. Air Force Security Forces Airmen take that to heart as they are also members of law enforcement,

  • Team Phoenix inducts 42 new members

    “…I will faithfully uphold the Team Phoenix code of ethics, promote mutual respect, and help others in times of need. I promise to improve the culture around me and encourage my peers to do likewise. I take this obligation freely and I volunteer without reservation.” These words were repeated by 42

  • Run Toward the Fire: My journey through mental illness

    Suicide has been a part of my Air Force journey. It took a conversation with someone I trust and respect greatly, who also happens to be a mental health professional, to realize that suicide came nearer to defining my own story than I’d been willing to admit. “I’m going to give you one piece of

  • Celebrating 80 years of elite simulated warfighter training

    From wooden rifles to virtual reality, Nellis Air Force Base has used simulation to train warfighters for decades. Today, Nellis Airmen can step inside the new Virtual Test and Training Center, which uses advanced computer-generated models to simulate in-flight combat. On the contrary, during World

  • Tyndall celebrates 80 years of air power

    The 80th Anniversary of Tyndall Air Force Base prompts us to remember our past so we may better plot the course of our future. What has been clear from the beginning is Tyndall has fulfilled a key portion of the defense needs of a nation.

  • 379th ECES SAPR Reps stand for change

    Sexual assault and harassment can be emotionally devastating and unjust, but the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Representative Program trains Airmen, who volunteer, how to assist victims if an incident has been reported to them.

  • Air Combat Command Announces 2021 Award Winners

    General Mark D. Kelly, the commander of Air Combat Command (ACC), announced the recipients of ACC's 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year, First Sergeant of the Year, Officer of the Year, and Civilian of the Year Awards for 2021.

  • The last ride

    Driving home yesterday, a familiar country tune blasted in the background: “It’s not if they will, but how they remember you.” It was ironic and somewhat poetic to hear those words on April 27th, exactly ten years to the day since our family was forever changed by the U.S. Air Force’s largest single

  • DAF kicks off 2021 Fall Prevention Focus

    For the eighth year, the Department of the Air Force is partnering with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration during the National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls being held May 3-7. The DAF theme for this year’s focus is “Make a Difference in Fall Prevention.” The theme incites every

  • TACP officer becomes F-16 pilot

    A convoy of Afghan Humvees makes its way down narrow roads in urban Afghanistan while escorting an Afghan Army Corps commander in the summer of 2016. From the rear, a Tactical Air Control Party officer witnesses a rocket-propelled grenade rip through the lead Humvee, as a gunner with a heavy machine

  • PSAB Welcomes new SAPR duo

    In April 2021, the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing welcomed new additions to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program team: 1st Lt. Darby Germain, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, and Senior Master Sgt. LaTonya Reno, the full-time Victim Advocate.

  • One aircraft, two owners: Hawgsmoke builds on pilot, maintainer bond

    Maintenance professionals work countless hours on the flightline to prepare and equip aircraft for each sortie, while pilots must trust their lives to the quality of the maintenance. This relationship is honed and proven through countless deployments, exercises and most recently, Hawgsmoke 2021, a

  • AFW2 Announces Team Air Force for Warrior Games 2021

    The Air Force Wounded Warrior (AFW2) Program is proud to announce the 2021 Air Force Warrior Games team. A team of coaches and staff selected 45 primary and 15 alternates, a combination of active duty, Guard and Reserve Airmen and veterans, after their 2021 Virtual Air Force Trials competition. The

  • Enlisted trade boots for books, now serve Tampa community members

    U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Jessup, 23rd Maintenance Operations Squadron, worked as a HC-130 maintenance instructor at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia when the Air Force announced a new program designed to boost numbers for its Nurse’s corps. The Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program launched in

  • ROTC cadets tour SJAFB

    Airmen assigned to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, hosted ROTC cadets from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University April 8 to 9, 2021.

  • Nellis leaders, tribal reps visit Native American historical site

    Commanders from the 99th Air Base Wing, the 432nd Wing, and the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) met with six tribal representatives for an excursion to a Native American cultural site within the NTTR on March 21, 2021. Nellis Air Force Base initiated its Native American Program 25 years ago to

  • COMACC visits Hurlburt’s 505th Command and Control Wing

    Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, visited the 505th Command and Control Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida, April 6. The 505th CCW is the U.S Air Force's only wing dedicated to the Air Force’s core mission of command and control.

  • 93d AGOW Airmen rescue VSU student

    Two Airmen with the 93d Air Ground Operations Wing saved a man from a near-drowning incident at Madison Blue Springs State Park, Florida, March 27, 2021. After completing a mission readiness exercise the weekend prior, Senior Airman Jeremy Rowland, 822d Base Defense Squadron security forces squad

  • A Woman Making History is Tough as Nails

    When you were 7 years old and your first grade teacher leaned down with a huge smile on their face and asked you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” What do you remember saying? Some kids said firefighters or teachers, some said doctors or scientists, and some said pilots. Retired U.S. Air

  • AFCENT band connects with Qatari music students, highlights year of culture

    Few things on Earth are able to transcend regional or cultural norms. Mathematics, chemistry and music have that capability, each with their own rules and lexicon. However, music is known for evoking an emotional connection that can leave a lasting impact far beyond a singular event. The U.S. Air

  • CSAF Memo to Airmen: Leadership Library

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr.'s presents his Leadership Library. A chance to offer new books, podcasts and documentaries in order to generate regular conversations with Airmen on things that interest him and may interest them.

  • Department of the Air Force launches Family Vector website

    The Department of the Air Force launched a new website today, giving Exceptional Family Member Program families direct access to decision-making information related to medical programs, assignments or other support resources. Service and family members can now obtain information without using a

  • A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team pilot announced

    U.S. Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly, Air Combat Command commander, certified the new A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team pilot and commander during the Heritage Flight Training Course at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, March 6, 2021.

  • 668th ALIS Airmen support JBSA after winter storms

    Airmen of the 668th Alteration and Installation Squadron, also known as the “Roadrunners,” collaborated with JBSA-Lackland’s 502nd Civil Engineering Squadron to help ensure the safety of base tenants during the worst winter storms in Texas history.

  • Flashback: Shield Turns Into Storm

    The 30th anniversary of the beginning of Operation DESERT STORM, a massive U.S.-led offensive campaign to liberate Kuwait, was marked Jan. 17, 2021.