US Air Force

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US Airman Who Set Self on Fire at Embassy Has Died

Aaron Bushnell of Texas decried 'genocide' outside Israeli Embassy in Washington

(Newser) - The Air Force member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in DC on Sunday afternoon in support of Palestinians has died, reports the AP . The active-duty airman has been identified as 25-year-old Aaron Bushnell of San Antonio, Texas.

Airfield That Launched First A-Bombs Called Back to Service

Amid China threat, US is reviving airfield on Tinian Island for first time since World War II

(Newser) - The US Air Force is reviving the island airfield that launched the atomic bombs on Japan in World War II as it looks to disperse its power in the Pacific and avoid becoming an easy target for China. North Field on the 39-square-mile Tinian Island—part of the Northern Mariana...

Air Force Pilot Ejects Before F-16 Crashes Into Sea

Pilot experienced unspecified emergency off coast of South Korea

(Newser) - A US Air Force pilot safely ejected on Monday before his F-16 fighter jet crashed into the sea off South Korea's southwestern coast, US and South Korean military officials said. The unidentified pilot was recovered by South Korean maritime forces and was "awake and in stable condition,"...

Air Force: We've Found Wreckage of Downed Osprey

Divers discover aircraft debris, crew remains off southwestern Japan after crash last week

(Newser) - US and Japanese divers have discovered wreckage and remains of crew members from a US Air Force Osprey aircraft that crashed last week off southwestern Japan, the Air Force announced Monday. The CV-22 Osprey carrying eight American personnel crashed Wednesday off Yakushima island during a training mission. The body of...

Another Osprey Has Gone Down, This Time Off Japan

At least one is dead, 5 missing after US military aircraft crashes near Yakushima Island

(Newser) - A US Osprey has crashed off the coast of Japan, killing at least one of the six people on board. Per CNN , the Japanese coast guard first received word of the aircraft's accident, which took place near Yakushima Island in the southern Kagoshima prefecture, shortly before 3pm local time...

Investigators Find Remains of US Airman Lost for 80 Years

Remains of Gilbert Myers recovered at 1943 crash site in Italy

(Newser) - It wouldn't have taken long for the family of Gilbert Haldeen Myers to conclude the US Army Air Forces pilot was dead. Though he was declared missing in action, there were no reports of survivors after his crew's B-25 Mitchell bomber, tasked with attacking the Sciacca Aerodrome in...

At This AFB, Cancer Diagnoses Abound. Now, a New Find

Air Force finds unsafe carcinogen levels at Montana's Malmstrom nuclear missiles base

(Newser) - The Air Force has detected unsafe levels of a likely carcinogen at underground launch control centers at a Montana nuclear missile base where a striking number of men and women have reported cancer diagnoses. A new cleanup effort has now been ordered, reports the AP . The discovery "is the...

6 Officers Fired After Missile Base Gets Inspection 'F'

2 commanders, 4 subordinates relieved of command at North Dakota's Minot Air Force Base

(Newser) - Six officers at an Air Force nuclear base were fired this week after units failed an inspection meant to ensure the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile is safe and secure, CNN reports. The two commanders and four subordinates "were in charge of caring for the infrastructure, fuel, and logistics...

Pilot Made $400K Misfire Shooting at Object in Sky

'The first shot missed,' general admits about attempt over Lake Huron

(Newser) - Four words you don't want to hear in regard to a US fighter pilot launching a missile at a mystery object in the skies above the US: "The first shot missed." On Tuesday, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark A. Milley acknowledged that the first Sidewinder missile fired...

US Servicewoman in Italy Accused of Deadly DUI Crash

Woman was allegedly four times over the limit when she hit teen on cycle path

(Newser) - A 20-year-old Air Force servicewoman is facing a vehicular homicide charge after allegedly killing a 15-year-old boy in a crash in northern Italy Sunday morning. Sources tell ANSA that the woman was four times over the legal limit when she hit Giovanna Vanier on a cycle path after losing control...

Military Drone Operators Suffer a Heavy Mental Toll

'New York Times' explores the effects on them

(Newser) - Kevin Larson was a churchgoing Eagle Scout and honors student with dreams of becoming a fighter pilot. He received his officer’s commission in 2012, but by then, the Air Force didn’t need airplane pilots, it needed drone pilots. Larson was disappointed, according to a story in the New ...

Judge Rules Air Force Must Pay $230M to Massacre Victims

Judge had previously ruled military branch was 60% responsible for Sutherland Springs church shooting

(Newser) - Update: The gunman who shot up a Texas church in 2017, killing 26 and injuring 22, is no longer alive to pay any kind of restitution to his victims or their loved ones. But on Monday, Judge Xavier Rodriguez of the US District Court for the Western District of Texas...

Air Force Discharges 27 Who Refused Vaccinations

Personnel faced a Nov. 2 deadline

(Newser) - The Defense Department has removed some of its first service members for refusing to be vaccinated for COVID-19. The Air Force announced Monday that it has discharged 27 unvaccinated people, Politico reports. Air Force personnel had a Nov. 2 deadline. The branch's most recent figures show that more than...

Air Force Member Guilty of Killing Mennonite Woman

Mark Gooch first kidnapped Sasha Krause, say prosecutors

(Newser) - Update: A US Air Force airman has been found guilty of kidnapping and murdering a Mennonite woman from a remote community in New Mexico. Mark Gooch, 22, was convicted by a jury in Arizona, where the body of 27-year-old Sasha Krause was found in a forest more than a month...

Trump Made 'Misguided' Space Command Call: Governor

Colorado's Jared Polis says HQ is being moved as a Trump reward to Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville

(Newser) - Tommy Tuberville, Alabama's newest GOP senator, may have just seen a big nod from President Trump, at least according to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. The Democratic governor and other leaders from both parties in his state are slamming a decision to relocate Space Command headquarters from its temporary digs...

Military Suicides Rise Up to 20% in 2020

Leaders assume pandemic is part of the cause

(Newser) - Military suicides have increased by as much as 20% this year compared to the same period in 2019, and some incidents of violent behavior have spiked as service members struggle under COVID-19, war-zone deployments, national disasters, and civil unrest. While the data is incomplete and causes of suicide are complex,...

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...

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