AFCEA - Los Angeles

Under Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning was sworn in by Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley during a formal ceremony May 31, 2013, at the Pentagon here.

In his duties, Fanning will be responsible for the efficient and effective management of Air Force resources and serve as the senior Air Force energy official. Additionally, he will serve as the focal point for space operations, policy and acquisition issues on the Air Force staff.


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Contracts valued at $5 million or more are announced each business day at 5 p.m.

With a career that spans across three decades and a warfighting reputation that rivals nearly every aircraft in the Air Force's arsenal, the B-1 Lancer has established itself as one of the United States' most crucial assets to maintaining air and ground superiority.

This achievement was built on the backs of hundreds, if not thousands, of maintainers here who have kept this Cold War bird fighting well into the 21st century.

With the bomber's ever increasing role in today's combat operations, pushing the airframe to the limits of its original design, skilled maintenance professionals are crucial to ensuring mission success.
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The Air Force's chief scientist will spend his last day on the job May 31 after more than two and half years in the Pentagon.

Dr. Mark Maybury's time with the service is heavily marked by major strides in the science and technology.

Three of those major changes include studies that created roadmaps for energy, cyberspace and research and development.

All three define how the service can harness science and technology to its advantage.
His first research focused on energy. Why energy? The first sentence of the document entitled, "Energy Horizons" puts the bottom line up front.
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The Air Force's chief scientist will spend his last day on the job May 31 after more than two and half years in the Pentagon.

Dr. Mark Maybury's time with the service is heavily marked by major strides in the science and technology.

Three of those major changes include studies that created roadmaps for energy, cyberspace and research and development.

All three define how the service can harness science and technology to its advantage.
His first research focused on energy. Why energy? The first sentence of the document entitled, "Energy Horizons" puts the bottom line up front.
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In a collaborative training effort, a group of six American and international astronauts participated in an abbreviated version of the Air University Leadership Reaction Course here May 22-23.

Designed to develop leadership skills, the LRC is a field exercise consisting of a series of obstacle course challenges that students navigate as teams during Officer Training School and Reserve Officer Training Corps courses. The astronauts visited the course to evaluate its potential usefulness for future leadership development.
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Since shortly after its birth as a separate service, American Airmen have worn the color blue.

Blue represents the sky above earth; a medium the Air Force first aimed to conquer. Blue in our uniforms, in our shield and in our official symbol is also commonly connected to loyalty and courage. Airmen have shown loyalty and courage in every significant conflict since the dawn of flight and continue doing so today.

Air Force blue begins entering our lives in basic military training. We learn about being Airmen. We share common experiences, learn attention to detail and become eager to dedicate ourselves to the mission. We are forged in the furnaces before proceeding to technical training where we learn a skill. Our instructors teach us the professional standards we need to follow in our specific career fields. Here, we are shaped and polished. When we report to our first assignment we are "blue". Our blue is strong, straight and true. We have become weapons of our nation -- weapons of the highest quality and accuracy.
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As the 2013 fighting season continues in Afghanistan, the Afghan National Security Forces can add yet another airpower capability to their ever increasing list: air attack from an Afghan air force Mi-35 HIND attack helicopter.

Members of the 377th Rotary Wing Squadron from the Kabul Air Wing fired 23 mm rounds from newly mounted twin-barreled Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23 guns on an Mi-35 for the first time May 15. This achievement represents a significant milestone in the Afghan air force and NATO Air Training Command-Afghanistan Combined Strategic FlightPlan.
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June 9 will mark three years since Master Sgt. Marisa Flores lost her husband, Tech. Sgt. Michael Flores, when he and four other pararescuemen died from injuries received during a HH-60G Pave Hawk crash in Afghanistan.

Some days are still a challenge.

Every now and then, Flores said she comes across someone who thinks she should be "over it by now." They don't understand that life may go on, but no one gets over losing a loved one on a timetable.

But in the days following the worst news of her life, she said she was surrounded by people who did understand.
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The Air Force announced today it expects to declare F-35A Lightning II initial operation capability in December 2016. The announcement was included in a joint report detailing service-specific IOC requirements and dates for each of the F-35 variants that was delivered to Congress today.

"The Air Force has spent the last six months looking at our initial capability requirements and the expected availability date. This announcement is exciting news for the Air Force," said Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley. "It highlights to members of Congress, our international partners, and the American public that the program is on track to bring the United States military and our allies this critical capability."
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Air Force Television News released a new, special edition of Today's Air Force on May 31.

Featured in this episode is a visit to the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., taking viewers for an inside look at what happens to Air Force planes after they've flown their last mission. Here, a dedicated team brings new life to old aircraft and retrieves aircraft parts for future use. 

Then, Today's Air Force listens to the nostalgic stories of former Airmen who flew these planes decades ago and carry with them memories and stories of missions long past. 
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This week's photos feature Airmen around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

View the slideshow.
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At an open house marking the Defense Department's launch of a new peer-support service for sexual assault victims, senior Pentagon officials today reaffirmed the department's commitment to eradicating sexual assault in the military.

The Defense Department has joined with a private organization to launch the DOD Safe HelpRoom -- a private online chat room for service members and military families to seek help following an assault. The new service gives victims and survivors access to chats with their peers, through an agreement with the nonprofit Rape, Incest and Abuse National Network.
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(This feature is part of the "Through Airmen's Eyes" series on AF.mil. These stories focus on a single Airman, highlighting their Air Force story.)

A Korean native stationed here was one of the first Airmen to join the Air Force and earn his U.S. citizenship through the Military Accessions Vital to National Interest Program.

Senior Airman Seung-Jae Oh, a U.S. Air Force Special Operations School cultural advisor, was one of seven Airmen selected for the Air Force MAVNI pilot program.
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The tight integration in Hawaii between active-duty service members, civilian defense employees and National Guardsmen points to the future of the overall force, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told troops at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam here May 30.

"That's as much value added as I think we can get in our system," Hagel said.

An F-22 Raptor served as the secretary's backdrop as he spoke to about 200 personnel representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard and Coast Guard.
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Contracts valued at $5 million or more are announced each business day at 5 p.m.

What's your life worth? One-million dollars? Maybe a few hundred thousand? What if I told you something that cost me $19.99 saved my life?

Two years ago, I paid $19.99 for a bicycle helmet and recently its value has surpassed its cost.

I was doing what a lot of us at Osan Air Base do -- riding my bike. I went to work, to the gym and then rode home to my off-base residence.

On this day, at about 2 p.m., the sun was shining brightly as I came across a busy downtown intersection. The green cross light was counting down and I had about five seconds to cross the street. I made it across safely, but was going so fast that I lost control of my bicycle.
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I had never met him. I had never seen him. I didn't even know his name before that day.

But then I stood on the flightline, staring at a black coffin draped in the Stars and Stripes. It didn't matter whether or not I knew this Marine, because I could feel his impact.

Members of the base and local community showed up in force for this dignified transfer. A full formation of Marines divided the hearse from the series of cars that lined the aircraft hangar doors, with an honor guard ready to receive their fallen brother after he arrived by plane. More than 20 K-9 handlers and their dogs filled the flightline in respect of one of their own because the plane was not only carrying an American warrior, but also the remains of his military working dog partner.
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Air Force officials announced May 29  they are consolidating depot maintenance for the F-22 Raptor at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.

The depot maintenance work is currently split between the Ogden ALC and the Lockheed facility in Palmdale, Calif.

"Palmdale has made a storied contribution to aviation and while this move makes sense, we are certain this important workforce will continue strongly supporting the Air Force at Palmdale for many years to come," said Lt. Gen. C.D. Moore II, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center commander.
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Senior commanders recently called on the defense industry to provide technologies that give special operations forces more situational awareness, better networking and communications and more precise location and targeting capabilities.

Officials from across U.S. Special Operations Command, including commanders of its service components and the theater special operations commands, laid out their wish lists earlier this month at the annual Special Operations Forces Industry Conference here.
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