Air Force

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China Blasts US for 'Naked Act of Provocation'

Nation protests Air Force U-2 spy plane that allegedly infiltrated no-fly zone during military drills

(Newser) - Amid a low point in US and China relations, there's now a new point of contention: The latter's Ministry of National Defense is accusing a US Air Force U-2 reconnaissance plane of infiltrating a no-fly zone during live-fire military drills. "This was a naked act of provocation,...

USAF Pilot Injured by Ground Fire From Virginia

Helicopter was hit by bullet near Manassas

(Newser) - A US Air Force helicopter had to make an emergency landing after it was hit by ground fire—over northern Virginia. The Air Force says the aircraft, which was on a training mission, was hit while flying at an altitude of 1,000 near Middleburg, around 10 miles northwest of...

A Female Air Force Pilot Makes History

Capt. Emily Thompson flew an F-35 into combat

(Newser) - "It's a pretty big honor." So said Capt. Emily Thompson after becoming the first woman to fly a stealth fighter jet into combat, Fox News reports. The Air Force says Thompson, call sign "Banzai," flew the F-35A Lightning II in a combat sortie and was...

Senate Unanimously Confirms First Black Service Chief

Gen. Charles Brown is new Air Force chief of staff

(Newser) - The Senate on Tuesday unanimously confirmed Gen. Charles Brown Jr. as chief of staff of the US Air Force, making him the first black officer to lead one of the nation's military services. Vice President Mike Pence took the unusual step of presiding over the vote, something he usually...

Shooting at Air Base Leaves 2 Service Members Dead

Investigation underway at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota

(Newser) - A shooting early Monday has left two airmen dead at the Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. The shooting occurred at 4:30am, according to a military statement, per the AP . The incident remains under investigation, but officials said there's no risk to other personnel. Additional details...

Air Force Officially Drops Height Requirement
Air Force Scraps
Pilot Height Rule
May 25, 2020 2:06 PM CDT

Air Force Scraps Pilot Height Rule

It's a 'huge win' for women, official says

(Newser) - Would-be aviators no longer need to worry about being too short or too tall for the Air Force. Officials say the Air Force height requirement has been scrapped and applicants will now go through an "anthropometric screening process" to determine what aircraft they can safely fly, CBS reports. Under...

A Lethal Problem Afflicts the Air Force

Suicides spike after 5 years of relative stability

(Newser) - Suicides in the active-duty Air Force surged last year to the highest total in at least three decades, even as the other military services saw their numbers stabilize or decline, according to officials and unpublished preliminary data, the AP reports. The reasons for the Air Force increase are not fully...

Pilot Passed Out, Woke Up, but Damage Was Done

Air Force fighter jet landed safely but plane needed major repairs, reports Popular Science

(Newser) - It's unusual for a plane to land safely and yet still sustain millions of dollars in damages, but that's precisely what happened during an Air Force training mission last year. Popular Science has the details, which illustrate the dangers that powerful G-forces present to military pilots. In March,...

Air Force Jets Crash on Training Runs; 2 Dead

Four were aboard T-38s near base in Oklahoma

(Newser) - Two T-38 jets crashed during routine training flights Thursday in Oklahoma, killing two airmen. The accident took place near Vance Air Base, and the Air Force said a total of four personnel were on the two-seater jets. The Air Force did not immediately provide information about the condition of the...

Officer: Air Force General Sexually Assaulted Me

She says Gen. John Hyten 'ruined' her life

(Newser) - A senior military officer has accused the Air Force general tapped to be the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of sexual misconduct, potentially jeopardizing his nomination. Members of Congress have raised questions about the allegations and the military investigation that found insufficient evidence to charge him....

Armed F-16 Slams Into Warehouse
Armed F-16 Slams
Into Warehouse
May 18, 2019 10:35 AM CDT

Armed F-16 Slams Into Warehouse

13 people are hurt, but no lives are lost

(Newser) - An F-16 fighter jet slammed into a California warehouse Thursday loaded with live ammunition—but while 13 people were hurt, it appears none of the ammo went off, CNN reports. A fact sheet on the jet says it can carry a cannon with missiles and 500 rounds. The jet apparently...

First It Was the 737 Max. Now Another 'Big Deal' for Boeing

This time the issue is trash and tools left behind on its KC-46 air refueling tankers

(Newser) - On the heels of the grounding of its 737 Max planes , Boeing now has a new problem: a "severe situation" tied to its KC-46 Pegasus air refueling tanker aircraft. That's how Will Roper, the Air Force's acquisitions chief, describes the garbage and loose industrial tools found during...

Air Force Secretary Is Leaving
Air Force
Secretary
Is Leaving
Mar 8, 2019 1:39 PM CST

Air Force Secretary Is Leaving

Heather Wilson will resign to take on presidency at University of Texas at El Paso

(Newser) - Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, once seen as a candidate to succeed Jim Mattis as defense secretary, said Friday she's resigning to become president of the University of Texas at El Paso. A former US House Republican member from New Mexico and graduate of the US Air Force Academy,...

Sen. McSally: I Was Raped by Superior Officer in the Air Force

Arizona Republican speaks out at Senate hearing on sexual assault in the armed forces

(Newser) - Sen. Martha McSally, the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat, said Wednesday that she was raped in the Air Force by a superior officer, the AP reports. The Arizona Republican, a 26-year military veteran, made the disclosure at a Senate hearing on the armed services' efforts to prevent...

DOJ: She Knew US Secrets and Gave Them to Iran

Ex-Air Force counterintelligence specialist Monice Witt is charged

(Newser) - "It is a sad day for America when one of its citizens betrays our country," said the head of the Justice Department's national security division, on what is apparently such a day. A former Air Force counterintelligence specialist who defected to Iran has been charged with revealing...

Thousands Show Up to Honor 'Unaccompanied Veteran'

Texas cemetery urged public to attend funeral of Air Force vet

(Newser) - When the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery announced that 72-year-old Joseph Walker was to be buried as an "unaccompanied veteran," with nobody present but cemetery workers, the response was overwhelming. Roads around the cemetery were jammed and the service had to start late to accommodate the estimated 2,...

West Point Prank Injures Air Force Mascot

Gyrfalcon was returned with bloodied wings

(Newser) - The United States Military Academy at West Point has apologized for a "prank" that injured the Air Force Academy's official mascot. Aurora, a 22-year-old white gyrfalcon, suffered injuries initially thought to be life-threatening after she was abducted along with another bird ahead of Saturday's annual Army-Air Force...

Broken Coffee Mugs Cost Air Force $1.3K Each

But they've found a 50 cent solution

(Newser) - While nobody wants the nation's airmen to have to drink cold coffee, Air Force officials have admitted that spending $1,280 for a metal mug that breaks easily is "irresponsible," USA Today reports. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said in a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley that...

Air Force Confirms It Paid $30K for 3 Toilet Seat Covers

Going forward, the price will drop to $300

(Newser) - How much can a toilet-seat cover cost? If you're the Air Force, $10,000. The Washington Post reports on that eye-popping amount and the technological advances that have now dropped the price-point to an easier-to-swallow level. Three covers, "required to protect the aircraft from corrosion damage in the...

Air Force Officer Who Vanished 35 Years Ago Is Found

William Howard Hughes Jr. was apprehended in California

(Newser) - A Kirtland Air Force Base officer with top security clearance who disappeared 35 years ago has been found in California. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations said in a news release this week that William Howard Hughes Jr., was apprehended at his home after a fraud investigation involving a...

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