Air Force News

Report: Iran hangs 2 men convicted of spying
Iran's state radio says authorities have executed two men convicted of spying for Israel's Mossad and the American CIA spy agency.

Minn. National Guard launches new drone facility
The Minnesota National Guard has officially launched its new $3.9 million Unmanned Aircraft Operations Facility at Camp Ripley.

North Korea fires projectile into eastern waters
North Korea fired a projectile into waters off its eastern coast Sunday, a day after launching three short-range missiles in the same area, officials said.

Reforms unveiled for Arizona National Guard
The Arizona National Guard's top officer has unveiled more than a dozen reforms as the organization wades through sexual abuse, drug trafficking and abuse of power allegations.

Air Force removes film from Welsh's recommended list over scenes with sexual content
The film 'Armadillo' follows Danish troops during their deployment to Afghanistan

Suspected U.S. drone in Yemen kills 4 militants
A suspected U.S. drone strike killed four al-Qaida militants Saturday in a southern Yemeni province once overrun by the group, according to security officials.

Yoga program focuses on wounded warriors
Lt. Col. Shaye Molendyke has seen the mental health effects of war up close and personal. She worked the psychiatric ward at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, and daily, she saw the invisible effects of war on troops.

Space-A: The 'A' is for adventure!
The three oldest Gloden boys have been known to zip their remote control cars through the expansive deck of a C-17 transport as their family flies on military Space Available flights.

Hagel orders review of sex-abuse prevention
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Friday ordered the military to recertify all 25,000 people involved in programs designed to prevent and respond to sexual assault, an acknowledgement that assaults have escalated beyond the Pentagon's control.

Benghazi e-mails show 'no conspiracy,' expert says
E-mails released by the White House that describe how the CIA's assessment of the Benghazi attack was edited to exclude any mention of terrorism appear to be part of a routine process by Washington bureaucrats, says a former CIA agent who used to take par

Dempsey: DoD may have become 'too forgiving' of sexual assault
After a decade of war, the military may have become soft on some sexual assault offenders, the Pentagon's top officer said Friday.

Pentagon networks to allow official use of iPhones, iPads
The Defense Department announced Friday that officials have taken the first step that will allow government-issued iPhones and iPads to access DoD computer networks.

DoD makes final push for 1 percent raise
The Defense Department is making a final plea to Congress to cap the 2014 military pay raise at 1 percent.

Refueling operations in Mali pass 200 missions
It may not have the level of attention of operations in Afghanistan, but Air Force refueling operations just surpassed 200 missions over four months while assisting the French in Mali.

F-35A successfully starts air refueling
It was the first time the new F-35A was refueled with a nontest pilot in the cockpit, and for all the excitement, it was a 'nonevent,' the pilots and boom operators said.

Nellis airman charged in death of wife
A North Las Vegas man stationed at Nellis Air Force Base has been charged with murdering his wife.

More bases using solar power
Stateside military bases are generating 130 megawatts of solar energy - a modest amount that's only enough to power 22,000 homes, but still a step the solar power industry says is improving national security.

Bill proposes opening base gyms to potential recruits
Concerned that teenage obesity has dramatically reduced the number of people eligible for military service, Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., has introduced legislation to create an education program about healthy lifestyles.

Obama cites 'shame' in military sexual assault
President Obama said Thursday the nation's military leaders told him they are 'ashamed' of their failure to end sexual abuse in the armed services, and he promised an accelerated effort to find solutions.

Questions of independent prosecution hang over sex assault legislation
Lawmakers are wrestling with changes in the military justice system to improve investigation and prosecution of rape and sexual assault cases, with a push toward handling have sex crimes handled outside the normal chain of command.

Pentagon: U.S. still in armed conflict with al-Qaida
The United States remains in armed conflict with al-Qaida and its affiliates, a fight likely to last a decade or two, senior Pentagon officials told Congress on Thursday in arguing against changes to the 2001 military force law used in the war on terror.

Book Review: War and afterward, in words
Five new books offer five ways to understand the relationship between service and self, and how to survive both without self-destruction.

DoD proposes lifting Medal of Honor limit
The Defense Department wants to repeal a decades-old law restricting a service member to receiving only one Medal of Honor, saying the 'V' device added for subsequent awards seems too little for someone who has performed such a valorous act.

Obama calls meeting on military sex assault
The nation's top defense leaders were summoned to the White House on Thursday to talk about the military's sexual assault crisis as the Pentagon's top general said women in uniform were losing confidence the problem will be solved.

Letters to the editor: Doolittle and disgust
Recent coverage in Air Force Times regarding the last Doolittle Raiders reunion ['Remaining Doolittle Raiders gather for final time,' April 29] brought back memories.

Delays are OK for an airline, but hampering Air Force's operations
A decade ago, someone slipped me a United Airlines memo to its employees.

Workplace sweep proper
Stung by a spiraling number of sexual assaults in the military and a string of scandals, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered all the services to conduct a sweep of workspaces across every military installation to eliminate anything that might be deg

Tape tests don't cut it
For members of the military struggling to stay in fighting trim, the stakes are higher than ever: The services have been cutting end strength as spending slows, and those who fail to meet fitness standards are being booted out in growing numbers.

Know the motorcycle rules DoD-wide and at the base level
When it comes to the rules of the road for military motorcycle riders, every base can be a little different.

Obama calls on Congress to fund embassy security
President Obama on Thursday tried to turn the tables on Republicans who have criticized his administration's response to last year's deadly attack in Benghazi, Libya, calling on lawmakers to approve his request to increase funding for diplomatic security.

Not so secret: Guard medic's band is gaining ground
The secret is getting out. If you haven't heard The Secret State yet, trust us, you will. The band was founded by an Army Iraq veteran and two Coast Guard midshipmen-turned-downrange contractors, and its single '

Consumer Watch: Military verification brings more discounts
New technology is helping active-duty troops, family members and veterans take advantage of more discounts.

Tricare Help: Pregnant daughter must stay single to keep Tricare
Q. I am a retired Marine with Tricare Prime for myself and my family. My daughter, 19 and a full-time student, is pregnant by her boyfriend, also a full-time student.

Japanese mayor: Remarks on wartime, modern sex services 'lacked sensitivity'
An outspoken Japanese mayor who outraged many with remarks about Japan's wartime and modern sexual services stood by his comments Thursday, but said he may have lacked 'international sensitivity.'

Afghans tell of U.S. soldier's killing rampage
Sitting on a dirty straw mat on the parched ground of southern Afghanistan, Masooma sank deeper inside a giant black shawl.

Official: Two U.S. troops among 15 killed in Kabul bombing
A suicide car bombing tore through a U.S. convoy during rush hour in the Afghan capital on Thursday, killing at least 15 people, including six Americans and two children, officials said.

Worker dies from injuries in accident at Columbus AFB
A contract worker involved in an accident at Columbus Air Force Base has died from his injuries.

VA claims processors on mandatory overtime through September
In an expanding effort to eliminate the benefits claims backlog, the Veterans Affairs Department announced Wednesday it is putting its claims processing staff on mandatory overtime through the end of the fiscal year.

Joint Chiefs chairman cites 'crisis' over assaults
Sexual assault in the U.S. military is costing the armed services the confidence of women in uniform that the problem can be solved, the nation's top military officer warns.

Grand Forks AFB getting new commander
Grand Forks Air Force Base is getting a new commander.