News Search

  • Back in the game: An Airman’s tenacity to finish what she started

    A social media notification lit up her phone with a four-year-old memory from when she was in the middle of her first deployment. These are the memories she typically pushes to the back of her mind, but this blatant reminder of the diagnosis that cut her deployment short and got her medically

  • “As goes the 53rd Wing, so goes the Air Force”

    Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, and Chief Master Sgt. David Wade, ACC command chief, visited the 53rd Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Nov. 23-24, 2020. Their visit with 53rd Wing Airmen showcased test, evaluation, and mission data reprogramming, highlighting the wing’s drive

  • A New WSINT: Win any fight now

    While the U.S. Air Force Weapons School Integration (WSINT) has not deviated much from its original training model, today’s training approach has taken a new form.

  • Coming Home Whole

    In the Air Force, we deploy. That means going and getting the mission done, away from our families, friends, and loved ones, but serving our country and making sure that the people we love are safe. It can be tough to be away, and sometimes, it can be tough coming home.

  • Coalition VIRTUAL FLAG: joint and coalition partners train as they fight

    The 705th Combat Training Squadron, home of Air Combat Command's Distributed Mission Operations Center, recently hosted one of the world's largest virtual air combat exercises at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. Coalition VIRTUAL FLAG 21‑1 ran at distributed locations across the globe, October

  • MacDill to integrate training with Shaw AFB

    Aircrews with the 91st Air Refueling Squadron, maintainers with the 6th Maintenance Group and Airmen with the 6th Operations Support Squadron along with four KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, are scheduled to travel to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, at the end of November to conduct an integrated

  • Preserving fighter pilot readiness through preventative care

    Preventive wellness programs are key to ensuring the longevity of a pilot’s career. During their day-to-day operations, fighter pilots undergo significant surges in G-force, which increases their likelihood for injuries. Ultimately, this can affect their ability to stay in the cockpit – decreasing

  • CMSAF Bass visits Team Shaw

    Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass spoke with Team Shaw members from multiple units including the 20th Fighter Wing, the 25th Attack Group, Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) and the Fifteenth Air Force at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, Nov. 16-17.

  • Celebrating Thanksgiving Safely

    Traditional Thanksgiving gatherings with family and friends are fun but can increase the chances of getting or spreading COVID-19 or the flu. Follow these tips to make your Thanksgiving holiday safer.

  • Large Force Test Event 20.03 sets standard for future test events

    Large Force Test Events 20.03 integrated ten weapons systems, including the F-35, F-22, F-15E, F-16, A-10, E/A-18G, HH-60G, EC-130H, KC-46, and KC-135, from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy on November 17, 2020 to test four Tactics Improvement Proposals, known as TIPs, as well as various high

  • Building digital literacy through Digital University

    The Air Force recently launched a program called Digital University to help increase digital literacy, by providing access to free courses from Udemy, Pluralsight, and Udacity to all Department of the Air Force air and space professionals. ACC is pushing to lead the way for the Air Force as a

  • Two Hill fighter squadrons complete simultaneous combat exercises

    During the first two weeks of November, two of the 388th Fighter Wing’s F-35A Lightning II squadrons employed live weapons in combat training during simultaneous exercises here and at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. Airmen from the 4th Fighter Squadron, including Reservists from the 419th FW, deployed

  • 563rd RQG saves four stranded teens

    Airmen assigned to the 563rd Rescue Group rescued four teenagers that were stranded on Mount Baldy in Dixie National Forest, Utah, Nov. 12, 2020.

  • 12th Combat Training Squadron supports joint air-to-ground operations

    The 12th CTS, a geographically separated unit (GSU) of the 57th Operations Group at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, supports the U.S. Army National Training Center (NTC), where Fort Irwin trains Airmen and Soldiers to control, sustain and integrate in a realistic battle environment in order to

  • Team Shaw hammers down at WSEP West

    Shooters from the 55th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Generation Squadron and Airmen from the 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron participated in exercise WSEP West at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Nov. 2–13. WSEP West, part of the Weapons Systems Evaluation Program, is an evaluation of the process of

  • 81st FS graduates final AAF class

    The 81st Fighter Squadron, a geographically separated unit assigned to the 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi, graduated its last class of Afghan A-29 Super Tucano student pilots on Nov. 13, here. The class will be the last Afghan Air Force class to train at the 81st FS

  • Contested Coastal Rescue Training

    The 48th and 55th Rescue Squadrons completed contested maritime training off the coast of California, Nov. 1-14, 2020. The training included day and night operations in which they executed a series of rescue procedures over the Pacific Ocean to enhance overall rescue capabilities, not only on land

  • Enlisted Airmen are the gatekeepers for Hill’s fighter squadrons

    Just like tracking maintenance on an F-35 is critical to flying safety, so is tracking and documenting the performance of the “human weapon system” – pilots – and that job belongs to Squadron Aviation Resource Managers. Squadron Aviation Resource Manager is an enlisted career field that exists in

  • Weather Airmen forecast combat missions

    Photo Essay: U.S. Air Force Airman from the 12th Combat Training Squadron (CTS) participated in Green Flag West 21-02, at Fort Irwin Army Base, California, Nov. 12, 2020. The 12th CTS readies tactical air control parties, weather teams and brigade combat teams executed decisive, world-wide

  • Thanksgiving fire safety: food for thought

    Giving thanks and spending a day with loved ones, friends, and neighbors is what this holiday is all about, but the Thanksgiving meal can lead to fires from the cooking process. By following a few simple safety precautions in the kitchen, people can avoid any fires that may lead to injuries, deaths,

  • 1st Fighter Wing Raptors deploy to support WestPac

    A contingent of 94th Fighter Squadron Airmen and F-22 Raptors assigned to the 1st Fighter Wing, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, to conduct missions in the Western Pacific. By working alongside allied and joint partner air forces, WestPac aims to

  • KC-46 tests command and control during ABMS onramp 3

    The 605th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Detachment 1 from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, participated in the most recent Advanced Battle Management System onramp experiment during exercise Valiant Shield at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, September 15-25, 2020.

  • Preventing Seasonal Flu

    The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. Most infectious disease experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with the flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the

  • Mt. Home: Weed whacking

    This story is part of a series giving an inside look at how the 910th Airlift Wing conducts aerial spray herbicide missions at Mountain Home Air Force Base's Saylor Creek Training Range in Idaho.

  • 53rd WEG hosts simultaneous WSEPs in Florida, Utah

    The 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group hosted both Weapons System Evaluation Program East and West from November 2-13, 2020. The WSEPs included more than 86 aircraft participating at the two installations in live-fire air-to-air and air-to-ground evaluations. 

  • New drone program advances defensive capabilities at Al Udeid AB

    The 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron recently won squadron innovation funds for the purchase and use of small unmanned drones at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, to train Airmen to detect and defend against similar unmanned systems used by various adversaries as well as adding an additional

  • Computerized canines to join Team Tyndall

    Over the last year, Tyndall Air Force Base and the 325th Security Forces Squadron have been working with Ghost Robotics to develop a system to enhance security and safety for the base population. Tyndall will be one of the first Air Force bases to implement semi-autonomous robot dogs into their

  • 388th Maintenance Group reorganizes, stands up four new squadrons

    The 388th Maintenance Group held a joint ceremony here, provisionally standing up four new squadrons as part of a wing-wide reorganization effort aimed to streamline administrative and operational control over hundreds of maintainers and their mission, making them more agile and responsive as they

  • SJAFB Airman makes USAF Shooting Team

    Master Sgt. Thomas Bazor, 333rd Fighter Squadron aircraft maintenance unit support section chief at Seymour Johnsons Air Force Base, earned the 12 spots on the U.S. Air Force Action Pistol Shooting Team. He compete against other military service members, law enforcement officials and civilian

  • USAF’s First HH-60W Jolly Green II Arrives at Moody

    The 23rd Wing and 347th Rescue Group leadership received the Air Force’s first two HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Nov. 5, 2020. The HH-60W comes equipped with a wide range of capabilities that will ensure its crews continue carrying out their critical combat

  • Gunfighters use VR to create multi-capable Airmen

    It's your first day on the new job and you are headed to the flightline to begin your training. It’s unbearably loud; roaring jets taking flight, tools clanking together, Airmen shouting over the sound of engines.

  • Remembering their sacrifice

    Veterans Day is celebrated Nov. 11 every year to commemorate the signing of the armistice to end World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. It is a day set aside to remember and think about the veterans who paid the ultimate price in the past and even the recent wars

  • Tiny home, huge dividends

    It is only 400 square feet of living, eating, sleeping, dressing, bathing, and recreational space for two adults and a child. It is also the place the Inniss family proudly calls home.

  • 89th ATKS brings the future faster with DMO accreditation

    In 2005, the U.S. Air Force harnessed the power of technology to allow groups of Airmen across the world to train together on virtual battlefields; all without leaving their unit. Now, with the recent accreditation of the 89th Attack Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force, South Dakota, Remotely Piloted

  • Get to the choppa! ASAB medics train on a Black Hawk

    Members assigned to the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, the U.S. Army, the Canadian Armed Forces and the Polish Armed Forces participated in a medical evacuation training exercise at Ali Al Salem Air Base, Kuwait, Oct. 27, 2020.

  • Food 2.0 brings healthier dining options to Seymour-Johnson

    Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, is the latest installation to implement the Food 2.0 initiative to offer healthier options to customers with the reopening of two renovated dining facilities on 29 Oct. More bases will open Food 2.0 facilities in the year ahead. Two other Air Combat

  • 19th AW supports CAF in Agile Flag 21-1

    Airmen from the 19th Airlift Wing flew to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, October 26-27, to participate in Agile Flag 21-1, showcasing distributed operations and testing agile combat employment capabilities.

  • 38th RQS Airman receives Silver Star

    U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Chad P. Franks, 15th Air Force commander, presented Staff Sgt. Nicholas Brunetto, 38th Rescue Squadron pararescueman, with a Silver Star Medal Oct. 29. Brunetto performed a lifesaving procedure on a severely-injured teammate while deployed in February 2020 in support of

  • 729th Air Control Squadron Airmen return home from deployment

    Airmen assigned to the 729th Air Control Squadron were welcomed home by their unit and families Oct. 25 after nearly six months deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. The squadron’s Airmen were dispersed to different locations in the AOR to provide 24/7 battle management and

  • Unclaimed veteran laid to rest

    An unclaimed veteran was given a dignified burial by base honor guard and state veterans at the Fargo National Cemetery, N.D., Oct. 16, 2020.

  • ACC leaders set tone for Team 432

    Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, visited here under the new lens of COMACC to immerse himself with the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing’s Remotely Piloted Aircraft mission Oct. 22.

  • 421st Fighter Squadron returns to Hill AFB

    Hundreds of Airmen from the expeditionary 421st Fighter Squadron returned to Hill Air Force Base today following a six-month deployment to Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates. The deployment, in support of the United States Air Force Central Command mission, included both Airmen from the active

  • A historian to remember

    A woman sporting a black shirt and joggers with short brown hair held in place with silver butterfly hair pins scribbles away in a bright red notebook. Standing there, in a patch of grass, she places her hand over her brow to block the sun from her eyes. As she looks around she finds herself

  • Agile Flag 21-1: A chief's perspective

    Agile Flag 21-1 is an experimental exercise that is testing the capability of a lead Wing level A-staff to employ mission generation, command and control, and base operating support elements from the MOAB, while supporting a forward operating base at Hurlburt Field, Florida, and a contingency

  • Chaplaincy brings VR to Agile Flag 21-1

    The 366th Fighter Wing Chaplaincy are also using Agile Flag 21-1 to try test the implementation of virtual reality (VR) as a resiliency tool for Airmen.

  • First USAF pilot hits 1,000 flying hours in F-35A

    On Oct. 22, 388th Fighter Wing pilots flew a four-on-six tactical intercept mission over the Utah Test and Training Range in the F-35A Lightning II, using sensors and stealth to take on the enemy. The sortie lasted roughly two hours. It would have been just like any of the thousands of other

  • Backshop for the Brrrt

    The A-10 Thunderbolt II is a highly specialized aircraft capable of close air support, combat search and rescue and airborne forward air control. The secret behind the speed and power of the A-10, however, lies in its two General Electric TF-34 turbofan engines.

  • 552nd ACW Airmen develop integrated opportunities with U.S. Army

    Ten Airmen from the 752nd and 552nd Operational Support Squadrons traveled to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, recently to develop integrated training opportunities with U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery personnel to better prepare for large-scale combat operations.

  • AFCEC begins rollout of high-tech EOD robots to installations

    The Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Readiness Directorate made its first delivery of the new medium-size explosive ordnance disposal robot to the field Oct. 15, to Tyndall AFB. The Man Transportable Robot System Increment II is a remotely operated, medium-sized robotic system that enables EOD

  • 355th TRS implements new VR simulators

    The 355th Training Squadron has used innovation funds to build a functional virtual reality simulator classroom to conduct training for A-10 Thunderbolt II student pilots as they earn their qualifications.

  • AC3: Answering all things COVID

    Personnel from the 379th Air Expeditionary Medical Group, Host Nation Support Cell and Plans and Programs have banded together to create a one-stop shop to answer any questions concerning COVID-19 at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar. This team is known as the AUAB COVID Command and Control Team.

  • AGILE FLAG 21-1 set up

    Airmen with the 52nd Combat Communications Squadron raise tents in preparation for AGILE FLAG 21-1 on Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, Oct. 15, 2020. Air Combat Command’s AGILE FLAG 21-1 experiment from 21-29 Oct, 2020 will test the 366th Fighter Wing’s, Mountain Home AFB, Idaho ability to deploy

  • F-35A demo team, A-10 demo team brief capabilities to Laughlin students

    The roar of the F-35A Lightning II, from Hill Air Force Base shook the entire flightline and everyone watching, as it soared not too far above, on Oct. 13, 2020, at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. Small groups of student and instructor pilots speckled far beneath, as an A-10 Thunderbolt II, from

  • DoD, Warfare Center partner to introduce 5G technology at Nellis AFB

    On Oct. 8, 2020, the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center announced the award of a Department of Defense (DoD) contract to build the 5G network infrastructure and support services necessary to establish a dual-use, military and commercial network on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and the Nevada Test and

  • Pit stop! Gunfighters quick-turn F-15Es with ICT exercise

    With tires changed and a full fuel tank, the simultaneous work of the pit crew pays off - the wheels hit the ground running and the race resumes in a matter of seconds. Like the National Association for Race Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the 366th Fighter Wing placed and pulled chocks Oct. 7, 2020, as

  • Missiles away: 27 FS increases combat lethality with WSEP East

    For many units across the Air Force, the COVID-19 pandemic has created an obstacle to maintaining a high level of mission readiness. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the 1st Fighter Wing has maintained a lethal, ready force, enabling support of Air Force mission priorities around the world.

  • GTOC initiates no contact rental service

    In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Air Force bases are adapting new protocol to ensure the safety of their most valuable assets: the Airmen, civilians and their families that are assigned to the installations. The Ground Transportation Operations Center of the 355th Logistics Readiness

  • AMDEX 21-1 kicks off to enhance relationships, readiness

    The U.S. military regularly participates in exercises with joint, coalition and regional partners in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility each year. Air and Missile Defense Exercise 21-1, which started Oct. 12, is a U.S. Air Forces Central-led exercise that develops and exercises tactics,

  • Turning point: Tyndall breaks ground on ABM Simulator Facility

    The 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall Program Management Office and mission partners held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Air Battle Manager Simulator Facility at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, Oct. 13, 2020. This event was a milestone for the base as it marked the first groundbreaking of a new

  • Understanding depression in a time of COVID-19

    This is a stressful, uncertain time. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many significant changes to how we live daily life. Social distancing, quarantine, and isolation can be overwhelming and may cause feelings of insecurity, confusion, hopelessness, and, ultimately, depression.

  • AUAB home to AOR’s largest PERSCO team

    “AUAB is home of the largest PERSCO team in the AOR,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Justin Cook, 379th Expeditionary Force Support Squadron reception control center non-commissioned officer in charge.

  • Live Capabilities: 726 ACS executes real world adaptive skill

    The Air Force’s ability to adapt, innovate and overcome dates back to it's inception. Implementing those adaptive skills, even in the midst of uncertainty, sets the Air Force apart as service. The 726th Air Control Squadron exemplified this when they executed a live mission take over for the 266th

  • A coin for everyone

    Resiliency plays a huge role in Airmen’s ability to succeed in their Air Force careers. Without the assistance of numerous helping agencies across the base, Airmen would not be equipped with the tools they need to cope during difficult times.

  • U-2 Federal Lab Achieves Flight with Kubernetes

    The U-2 Federal Laboratory successfully leveraged Kubernetes during a local training sortie on a U-2 Dragon Lady assigned to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, California, on September 22. This represents the first time Kubernetes has flown on an operational major weapon system in

  • WSEP 20.12 provides opportunities for test and training

    The 83d Fighter Weapons Squadron hosted squadrons from across the country for Weapons System Evaluation Program East 20.12 from September 15-25, 2020 enabling first-time shooter experience for front-line Combat Air Force squadrons while shaping the future fight through integrated operational test

  • NTTR: Conservation through cooperation

    The NTTR and the 99th CES work closely with local, state, and federal environmental agencies to sustain the range while maintaining military capabilities. They employ teams of biologists, anthropologists and natural resource managers to ensure the impact on the range remains as minimally invasive as

  • ACC Commander visits Tyndall

    A good way to comprehend the resiliency of Tyndall is to get a bird’s eye view of where the Airmen here have been and where they are taking the installation into the future. Piloting an F-15E Strike Eagle, Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command landed at Tyndall for a visit, Sept. 28-29,

  • Commander of Air Combat Command visits the 601st Air Operations Center

    U.S. Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly, commander of Air Combat Command, visited the 1st Air Force and 601st Air Operations Center and learning about their vital air defense mission supporting the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command during a visit to Tyndall Air Force Base,

  • MQ-9 Reaper Takes Flight with 8 Hellfire Missiles

    The 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron conducted the first flight of the MQ-9A Reaper carrying eight live AGM-114 Hellfire missiles on September 10, 2020, reinforcing the platform’s “persistent attack” role. This new capability is part of the MQ-9 Operational Flight Program 2409, a software upgrade

  • Air Force partnership helps rare woodpecker thrive

    The red cockaded woodpecker is making a comeback, thanks to partnership efforts between the Air Force and multiple public and private organizations. The woodpecker was listed as endangered in 1970. Since 1994, the Air Force has increased populations by 178 percent and its installations now house 585