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  • DAF authorizes pass for COVID booster

    “We strongly encourage all Airmen, Guardians, and DAF federal employees to receive a booster. As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, we need to do everything possible to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities—that means getting a booster,” said Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz

  • Department of the Air Force releases COVID-19 policy

    The Department of the Air Force released its policy Dec. 8 outlining the way forward for Total Force military members serving in the Air Force and Space Force who have requested separation or retirement prior to Nov. 2, 2021, or whose COVID-19 medical exemption or religious accommodation was denied.

  • DAF COVID-19 military vaccination deadlines approaches

    Any active-component Airman or Guardian who has refused to obtain a qualifying vaccine by Nov. 2 and has not received, or, is not in the process of seeking, a medical exemption or religious accommodation will be in violation of a lawful order and subject to discipline under Article 92 of the Uniform

  • Mountain Home Air Force Base Tackles the COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

    The mission of the United States Air Force is airpower, anytime and anywhere. Airmen are expected to respond to situations around the world, even during a pandemic. By being fully vaccinated, service members maintain mission readiness without location restrictions. The United States military is

  • DoD directs employees to start wearing face masks again

    Following guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Defense Department has directed employees working in areas at high risk for transmission to begin using face masks again as a measure to prevent the continued spread of the COVID-19 virus, especially the fast-moving,

  • 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.

  • New COVID-19 Delta Variant: What you need to know to stay safe

    A new and increasingly dangerous variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is rapidly sweeping across the globe. The good news, however, is that the existing vaccines now available to everyone over the age of 12 have proven to be highly effective in preventing the Delta variant as well as other versions of

  • Resilient and fit despite COVID-19

    On July 1, 2021, the Air Force will resume its physical fitness testing, following months of delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, Airmen of all ranks, ranging from new arrivals to those in the senior tier, have had to find different ways to maintain a healthy level of fitness

  • Current PCS, household goods affected by supply shortages

    According to a newly released communiqué from the Air Force’s Personal Property Activity Headquarters, “Department of Defense demand this peak (PCS) season has greatly exceeded commercial industry capabilities, largely due to resource constraints associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Per industry,

  • 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

  • DoD adds COVID-19 guidelines for deployers

    The Disaster Emergency Medical Operations Support Team tested more than 250 Airmen for COVID-19 prior to their departure to a deployed location April 15, 2021, here.

  • Air Force increases support to FEMA Community Vaccination Centers

    At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, two additional Air Force medical teams totaling 360 personnel are part of the Department of Defense’s latest deployment of 860 military medical and support personnel deployed to Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Virginia, and who are to deploy

  • 99th Medical Group deploys in response to COVID-19

    Members of the 99th Medical Group were deployed to California at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state of California in response to a surge of COVID-19 patients Jan. 7 to Feb. 13, 2021.

  • DoD activates Fifteenth Air Force to expedite COVID-19 vaccine distribution

    Members of the joint Department of Defense assembled Feb. 24, 2021, in Florida, to provide flexible Department of Defense support to the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of the whole-of-government response to COVID-19. Service members have temporarily been assigned to Fifteenth Air Force,

  • COVID-19 vaccine does not affect fertility, immunization experts say

    You're pregnant, or you’re breastfeeding. Should you get a COVID-19 vaccine? That’s a question on the minds of many military frontline health care workers today. The short answer is that it’s an individual’s choice, and military health experts say the vaccine is well worth considering.

  • Updated Air Force Guidance on Use of Masks

    (The acting Secretary of the Air Force, John P. Roth signed the following updated memorandum for all Department of the Air Force personnel regarding the required us of cloth masks. a PDF version of the memo is also provided.)

  • This is my why

    When the COVID-19 pandemic began, I never anticipated we would be to the point where we are today. Jobs have been lost, businesses have closed and everyone’s world has shifted. We’ve even lost the opportunity for the types of social interaction that helps bring us together.

  • DOD announces use of masks and other public health measures

    Today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III signed a memo that, effective immediately, directs all individuals on military installations and all individuals performing official duties on behalf of the Department from any location other than the individual’s home, including outdoor shared spaces,

  • DOD experts explain: The science behind the COVID-19 vaccines

    Almost six weeks after the Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization for the first two COVID-19 vaccines, many questions have arisen concerning their efficacy in attacking the SARS-CoV-2 virus and deadly COVID-19 disease. To better understand how COVID-19 vaccines work, MHS

  • COVID presents new set of challenges for DOD environmental health

    Total Force Fitness is a fundamental element of the Department of Defense’s National Defense Strategy. Helping to “Build a More Lethal Force,” Total Force Fitness focuses on a service member’s overall health over the duration of their career, including physical, environmental, spiritual,

  • Nellis administers initial COVID-19 vaccine

    Mike O’Callaghan Military Medical Center personnel administered Nellis Air Force Base’s first round of COVID-19 vaccinations Dec. 23. The Department of Defense distributed the vaccine to several initial sites as part of Operation Warp Speed, which is the nation’s initiative to safely and efficiently

  • COVID stinks: A story of depression, recovery, resilience

    What if we lived in a world where people were forbidden from making physical contact with one another and the very air we needed to breathe was filled with a potentially deadly virus so new and easily contracted that everyone had to wear masks to leave their homes or be within six feet of another

  • 379th EMDG Airmen work to complete MedicX skills certifications

    Medical personnel with the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group have been learning how to swab for COVID-19 testing as part of the Air Force Surgeon General’s MedicX initiative, which is meant to train non-clinical Airmen to perform simple medical tasks relevant to real-world threats.

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 633rd MDG pilots new COVID surveillance testing procedure

    Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, healthcare professionals have had to find ways to maintain access to medical care and adopt emerging technologies quickly. The 633rd Medical Group at Joint Base Langley-Eustis has led the way for the Air Force, piloting a variety of new lab tests that are helping the

  • 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.

  • Operation Warp Speed makes swift progress

    Unprecedented progress has been made recently on Operation Warp Speed - the effort by the Defense Department, Health and Human Services, other federal agencies and private industry to develop a coronavirus vaccine, an HHS official said Oct. 9.

  • 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

  • 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.

  • Department of the Air Force pushes fitness testing to Jan. 1

    To continue minimizing close contact among personnel during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and ensure units and personnel are fully ready to resume, testing has been delayed from October to January, and testing in January will move forward without obtaining waist, height and weight measurements.

  • Every crisis needs a hero

    Every crisis has individuals who put themselves in harm’s way to help others and although he wouldn’t consider himself one, the actions of Capt. (Dr.) Christopher Weisgarber, 3rd year chief resident assigned to the 99th Medical Group at Family Medicine Residency (FMR) during Nellis’ COVID-19

  • Air advisors host first virtual training with Panama partners amid COVID-19

    Air advisors with the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron are providing training for the first time using a virtual medium to members of the National Aeronaval Service of Panama, also known as SENAN, Aug. 31 through Sept. 11. Air advisors established the new training and certification process

  • Bringing the fight to COVID-19: Creech conducts serology testing

    Photo Essay: Medical personnel from the Creech Medical Clinic and the 99th Medical Group conducted a blood draw for COVID-19 serology testing on July 7, 2020 at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, . The objective of serology testing is to determine if the test can identify personnel who had COVID-19 but

  • For some, working from home brings neck and back pain

    “There’s no place like home” may be an appropriate sentiment for people who favor working from the comfort of home during the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, it doesn’t ring true for those teleworkers who are feeling more pain than comfort because their home office leaves much to be desired.“I

  • AFTAC uses technology to execute Change of Command

    The Air Force Technical Applications Center here underwent a change of command, employing modern-day technology to accomplish long-standing traditions. Col. Chad Hartman relinquished command to Col. Katharine Barber as 16th Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh served as the presiding officer

  • OSS ensures airfield operations continue amid COVID-19 pandemic

    When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the local area in March, the 55th Operations Support Squadron faced a challenge unlike any they had faced before to keep airfield operations ongoing. By implementing numerous precautionary measures, this team of more than 200 people, whose vast mission ensures the 55th

  • Air Force provider burnout - pouring from an empty cup

    Air Force medics are on the front lines against COVID-19, and maintaining their mental well-being is critical to keeping them in the fight.Delivering medical care in a pandemic or other crisis creates new mental health challenges, and makes existing challenges more serious. Medics should be aware of

  • Emergency Management disinfection team keep Airmen safe

    The 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing Emergency Management team is focused on protecting Airmen, and maintaining mission readiness during any emergency situation. This was demonstrated recently, when a member was identified as having contacted COVID-19, EM team responded with

  • Guarding the Gateway

    Spanning from donning facial coverings to new work locations at home station, the deployed environment is no different. The area of responsibility has adapted to meet the needs of the mission in an ever-changing expeditionary landscape. For the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, adapting has meant

  • Prioritizing sleep vital as Airmen adjust to new normal

    The COVID-19 epidemic affects every aspect of life, but a full night’s sleep remains vital to overall health and function. Continued lack of sleep can be detrimental to an Airman’s job performance, their ability to fight off infections, and their overall readiness and wellbeing.

  • Air Force cancels 2020 Marathon, offers virtual option

    Numerous scenarios were explored to produce an event that was safe for all and met the high event standards. All scenarios led the marathon team to conclude the event would be unable to proceed in a manner that participants have come to expect.

  • 389th FS returns from extended deployment

    After an extended deployment supporting OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE due to COVID-19, the 389th FS makes their return on the flight-line, hearing the sounds of celebration and the echoes of fellow Airmen saying welcome back.

  • Wildfire training turns to trial

    Northern California is an area prone to wildfires, which poses a hazard to both Recce Town’s members and assets. To combat this threat, the 9th Civil Engineer Squadron’s (CES) Fire Department organized training with wildland fire experts May 29, 2020.  During the training, the firefighters were put

  • JBLE conducts mass coronavirus testing

    Joint Base Langley-Eustis is conducting mass rapid oral fluid COVID-19 testing of roughly 2% of its population—approximately 7,800 joint, active duty personnel—over a three-day period, June 3 through 5.

  • Deployed Airmen find hope, resiliency through wingmen

    Due to the unforeseen mission impacts due to COVID-19, the 729th Air Control Squadron at Hill AFB, Utah, was unable to replace the members of the 726th ACS on time. This pushed back the 726th redeployment date by almost a month. As COVID-19 continues to impact deployments around the world, Airmen

  • COMACC joins AFTAC Airmen in online training session

    The commander of Air Combat Command carved out 30 minutes on his tight schedule May 13 to dial in to a virtual training class hosted by members of the 22nd Surveillance Squadron here. Gen. Mike Holmes participated in the webchat with 47 Airmen from the Air Force Technical Applications Center to

  • TRICARE revises telehealth policy to respond to COVID-19

    To improve virtual access to health care during COVID-19, TRICARE recently revised its policy on telehealth services. This temporarily allows you access to care more easily during the constraints of the pandemic. These changes will remain for the duration of the stateside public health emergency.

  • RED HORSE: heavy construction, self-sufficient, rapidly deployable force

    To the unassuming eye, all that can be seen is dust and equipment energetically jetting around from one spot to the next. The finished product will mirror the work of a commercial construction team but this is no commercial crew. This is one of the Air Force’s four active-duty RED HORSE units that

  • 15th OWS creating margin with Ready Month

    The 15th Operational Weather Squadron has introduced a new scheduling model this year to improve readiness, morale and the ability to train. Dubbed “Ready Month,” the plan provides the opportunity for one of the squadron’s four operational flights to come off 24/7 operations for a month to focus on

  • First deployed Airmen return during COVID-19

    The first group of 55th Wing Airmen to return from overseas since the COVID-19 pandemic began arrived here May 4, 2020.The Airmen are with the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron and deployed to Kadena Air Base, Japan, providing RC-135U Combat Sent operations.

  • U-2 Phase Maintenance

    The U-2 Dragon lady is vital to the mission globally and in order to keep the mission going the plane needs to be maintained, to do that, Airmen from the 9th Maintenance Squadron (MXS) deconstruct the plane during phase maintenance.

  • Top Air Force leader’s vision realized with stand up of TF-Southeast

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright visited Task Force-Southeast April 30 to see first-hand how the unit is supporting the whole-of-government approach to the Department of Defense’s response to COVID-19.

  • 28th TES provides support for COVID-19 isolation container testing

    The 28th Test and Evaluation Squadron is providing essential test support on an isolation container prototype, known the Negative Pressure Conex (NPC), which is being evaluated for potential use as a transport module for individuals infected with the COVID-19 virus and other highly infectious

  • Bring Safety Home

    As the nation moves to adapt and minimize the spread of the Coronavirus 2019, the Department of the Air Force is prioritizing the health and safety of our Airmen and Space professionals, civilian personnel, and families. By encouraging prevention measures and making modifications to ensure all

  • Don’t Let COVID-19 Attack Your Mental Health

    Physical distancing and isolation in conjunction with fear and anxiety about the pandemic can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in people. Many services are available to Airmen who might be struggling, making sure they are mentally fit and mission ready in these trying times.

  • Special Leave Accrual for Service Members

    The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Matthew Donovan signed a department-wide authorization for service members to accrue and retain an additional leave balance of up to 120 days.

  • Task Force-Southeast supports COVID-19 fight

    The Department of Defense has stood up task forces across the U.S. to provide relief to state health care systems fighting COVID-19. Task Force-Southeast, led by Ninth Air Force, is the primary DoD support organization for the Federal Emergency Management Agency response to COVID-19 in FEMA Regions

  • Airmen must resist complacency, adhere to social distancing guidelines

    The COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world. One-in-five cases in the U.S. requiring hospitalization are people between the ages of 20 and 44. One-third of Department of Defense cases are in intensive care units. All Airmen are

  • Be Ready, stay ready: First to the fight

    As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe, the Department of Defense now faces new challenges for providing America with its fighting force. For the Air Force this means developing a new norm for its fighter wings. Not only must they mitigate exposure for their work forces, but

  • Pandemic can’t stop AFTAC’s innovative Airmen

    As cleaning and disinfecting supplies rapidly disappeared from store shelves and warehouse stockrooms, demand far outweighed the availability of these products to protect against COVID-19. The Air Force Technical Applications Center at Patrick AFB, Fla., was no different. So what does the

  • Made with love in Australia by a 2nd WS Airman

    A 2nd Weather Squadron Airman stationed in Australia is crafting hope in her local community in the midst of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Staff Sgt. Kalynn Mitchell, a 2nd WS solar analyst at Learmonth Solar Observatory in Exmouth, Western Australia, is using her sewing machine and fabric from a

  • AF implements options for Exceptional Family Members during pandemic

    The Air Force is providing additional support to Airmen with exceptional family members during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Exceptional Family Member Program instituted new support to minimize the impact caused by department COVID-19 policies, including the Stop Movement order and social distancing