US Air Force

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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...

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...

US Air Force: Yep, We Bombed Japan by Mistake

And here's how it happened

(Newser) - Nothing like having a 500-pound bomb land on your property—but that's what someone experienced in Japan last year. A US Air Force F-16 fighter was flying a training mission in November when the pilot dropped a GBU-12 Paveway II bomb near Daughon Bombing Range in Aomori Prefecture, Popular ...

US on Confusing Afghanistan Plane Crash: It Was Ours

US military says it was a US Air Force plane and there's no indication it was shot down

(Newser) - After a flurry of confusing reports about a downed plane in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, the US military has confirmed it was a US Air Force plane that crashed. The rep for US forces in Afghanistan says the Bombardier E-11A crashed in the Ghazni province, the AP reports. US officials...

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...

'This Is Intolerable': Air Force Fires Woman in Viral Video

Tabitha Duncan, 20, is getting booted from the Air Force

(Newser) - A Missouri woman who was booted from the Air Force for appearing in a racist Snapchat video says she "was drunk" and needs "to seek help," the Air Force Times reports. Tabitha Duncan, 20, appeared in the recent video driving along a dark road with others who...

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