Air Force

News from across the U.S. Air Force.

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NELLIS AFB, NV - APRIL 25: A United States Air Force pilot (L) and weapons system officer look out the cockpit of their F-15E Strike Eagle as the jet is prepared for takeoff at Nellis Air Force Base while participating in the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006 (JEFX 06) April 25, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. JEFX is a biannual test of new systems and technologies by every branch of the military in an attempt to speed their introduction into the modern battlefield. This year's tests involve about 1,400 personnel from the United States, Great Britain, Canada and Australia studying new technologies during mock combat over the Nevada desert and center on finding better ways to communicate critical information between armed forces. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Former fighter pilots explain what it’s like to eject, following Kuwait shoot downs

Posted on Mar 3, 2026

From left, U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Levi Grant and Senior Airman Ivan Chen, 137th Airlift Squadron flying crew chiefs, 105th Airlift Wing, Stewart Air National Guard Base, Newburgh, New York, sit and kneel on the ramp of a C-17 Globemaster III, assigned to the 105th AW, while preparing to transport 177th Medical Group (MDG) airmen, 177th Fighter Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard, at the 177FW, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, Sept. 13, 2024. More than 30 airmen with the 177th MDG will attend clinical rotations at Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California, as part of Medical Facility Annual Training, Operation Pacific Surge. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman 1st Class Connor Taggart)

Air Guard and Reserve troops say new Air Force rules add to confusion over benefits

Posted on Feb 27, 2026

U.S. Air Force Airmen work at the 18 Wing medical building pharmacy on Kadena Air Base, Japan, Aug. 13, 2025. The 18th MDSS team supports deployed personnel and ensures mission readiness by providing essential medications to Airmen and their families. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Karina Lopez)

Davis-Monthan airman indicted in plot to defraud the military of millions in medical equipment

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Feb 22, 2026

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Lauren Sweitzer, 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, marshals an E-3 Sentry, assigned to the 968th Expeditionary Airborne Air Control Squadron, at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, March 6, 2022. The aircraft provides an accurate, real-time picture of the battlespace to the Joint Air Operations Center. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Nicholas Ross)

As aging Air Force AWACS heads to Middle East, where is its replacement?

Posted on Feb 20, 2026

Guinness World Records

This Air Force officer has set 17 Guinness World Records — so far

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Feb 19, 2026

Task Force Pegasus Troopers stand silhouetted before attempting to complete the Norwegian Foot March on Forward Operating Site Powidz, Poland, Aug. 8, 2024. Task Force Pegasus has joined with Allied Nation Soldiers and local community members to attempt the 18.6-mile march. The march was first held in 1915 as a test of marching endurance for soldiers in the Norwegian Army. The goal today is to stimulate the general interest of marching over extended distances amongst military and civilian personnel. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Julian Winston)

Military leaders should assume an absent troop is ‘in danger,’ watchdog finds

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Feb 19, 2026

Lt. Col. Jeff Budis, center, Air Forces Southern operations directorate, chief of exercises and airshows, Capt. Nate Delaney, right, 55th Rescue Squadron chief of plans and exercises and Staff Sgt. James Delaura, left, special missions aviator with the 563rd Operations Support Squadron pose for a photo in front of an HH-60W Jolly Green II at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, after returning from a successful rescue mission, Feb. 6, 2026. The mission demonstrated the Air Force rescue community’s ability to rapidly integrate qualified personnel across multiple units to respond when time, distance and personnel availability converge. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Rachel Maxwell)

Air Force crews scrambled to find a pilot to fly rescue mission far out to sea

Posted on Feb 13, 2026

Airmen from the 158th Fighter Wing refuel and rearm an F-35 Lightning II during a Distributed Integrated Combat Turn (D-ICT) exercise, June 12, 2025, at Westover Air Reserve Base, Chicopee, Mass. The D-ICT allows for rapid refueling and rearming of fighter aircraft to increase sortie generation and mission readiness. (U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Jay Hewitt)

Air Force bans smart glasses for troops in uniform

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Feb 6, 2026

A Nevada Air National Guard C-130H flies above Lake Tahoe during a "spouse lift" while Master Sgt. Billy Johnson, loadmaster with the 192nd Airlift Squadron, sits on the ramp, October 30, 2024. The 152nd Airlift Wing, Nevada Air National Guard, held the spouse lift to explain the mission of the Nevada Air National Guard and to recognize spouses for supporting their military members (Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Michelle Brooks).

An Air Guard wing touched down on all 7 continents in 2-year span

Posted on Feb 6, 2026

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Wolfe

Top enlisted leader in the Air Force explains why he wears his father’s service pin

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Feb 3, 2026

Image: Airmen from the 155th Air Refueling Wing listen to leadership in preparation for an upcoming Combat Readiness Inspection during his commander’s call at Nebraska Air National Guard Airbase, Lincoln, Nebraska, January 11, 2026. The CRI will test 155th Wing’s rapid deployment capabilities and crisis response while operating in a degraded environment. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Jeremiah Johnson)

Air Force to bring back ‘no-notice’ combat readiness inspections

By Nicholas Slayton

Updated on Feb 1, 2026

Hawaii Air National Guard Airmen conduct maintenance on a KC-135 Stratotanker at dawn prior to an aerial refueling mission at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Dec. 1, 2025. The 203rd Air Refueling Squadron provides critical aerial refueling capabilities in support of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command operations and global mobility missions worldwide. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Mysti Bicoy

Air Force plans to include simulated airfields in basic training

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jan 29, 2026

Image: U.S. Air Force Capt. Josiah Bierle, 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, awaits takeoff in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Dec. 30, 2025. Stationing A-10s in the CENTCOM AOR reinforces U.S. commitment to regional stability and strengthens deterrence against potential threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jonah Bliss)

An A-10 Warthog named ‘Diddy Kong’ is operating in the Middle East

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jan 26, 2026

Japan Air Self-Defense Force members from the Naha Air Rescue Squadron ride on a U.S. Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II assigned to the 33rd Rescue Squadron, in support of exercise Cope Angel 25-1 at Kadena Air Base, Japan, June 26, 2025. Cope Angel is an annual bilateral personnel recovery exercise conducted with U.S. Air Force and JASDF personnel, providing the opportunity for both services to integrate, plan and train together. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Melany Bermudez)

Air Force helicopter landed too close to crowd in death of school teacher, report finds

By Nicholas Slayton, Matt White

Updated on Jan 25, 2026

F-15s in Middle East

F-15 squadron that took out Iranian drones returns to the Middle East

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jan 21, 2026

CV-22 Ospreys assigned to the 21st Special Operations Squadron (SOS) approach an MC-130J Commando II for aerial refueling over the Sea of Japan, Mar. 17th, 2023. The 21st SOS utilizes the unique capabilities of the Osprey to conduct long range infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply missions for special operation forces. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Trevor Gordnier)

Air Force crew reacted rapidly to sudden power failure in Osprey mishap

Posted on Jan 13, 2026