Osprey 'black box' from fatal Japan crash that killed 8 recovered with data intact, Air Force says
The Air Force has recovered the flight data recorder from the Air Force CV-22B Osprey that crashed off the coast of Japan in late November, and the data is intact — which could provide valuable clues for investigators as to what caused the crash.
Air Force disciplines 15 as IG finds that security failures led to massive classified documents leak
The Air Force inspector general says the massive classified documents leak by a service member this year was made worse by the intentional failure of multiple officials to take required action on his suspicious behavior.
What we know about the Marine Corps F-35 crash, backyard ejection and what went wrong
The crash of an F-35B Joint Strike Fighter aircraft in South Carolina over the weekend has raised numerous questions about what prompted the pilot to eject after experiencing a malfunction and how the $100 million warplane was able to keep flying pilotless for 60 miles before crashing.
Military suicides drop as leaders push new programs
A new report and Pentagon data show that suicides across the active duty U.S. military decreased over the past 18 months, driven by sharp drops in the Air Force and Marine Corps last year and a similar decline among Army soldiers during the first six months of this year.
US Army misses recruiting goal; other services squeak by
The Army fell about 15,000 soldiers — or 25% — short of its recruitment goal this year, despite a frantic effort to make up the widely expected gap in a year when all the military services struggled in a tight jobs market to find young people willing and fit to enlist.
Air Force: Crew not at fault for Afghan deaths in evacuation
The Air Force has concluded that air crew members acted appropriately and were not at fault for some tragic deaths during the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan last year, when desperate Afghans clung to a military plane as it was taking off and fell to their deaths or were caught in the wheels.
China makes semi-secret delivery of missiles to Serbia
Russian ally Serbia has taken delivery of a sophisticated Chinese anti-aircraft system in a semi-secret operation this weekend, amid Western concerns that an arms buildup in the Balkans at the time of the war in Ukraine could threaten the fragile peace in the region.
Across services, troops face discipline for refusing vaccine
U.S. officials say all of the military services have now begun disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get the mandated coronavirus vaccine, with as many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces at risk of being removed from service.
Air Force says nearly 8,500 miss deadline for COVID-19 shots
The Air Force says nearly 8,500 active duty members of the Air Force and Space Force have missed the deadline for getting COVID-19 vaccinations, including 800 who flatly refused and nearly 5,000 with pending requests for a religious exemption.
Military weighs penalties for those who refuse COVID vaccine
As deadlines loom for military and defense civilians to get mandated COVID-19 vaccines, senior leaders are wrestling with the fate of tens of thousands who flatly refuse the shots or are seeking exemptions, and how to make sure they are treated fairly and equally.
Report: Air Force women, minorities face harassment and bias
A new study finds that about a third of the female service members in the Air Force and Space Force say they’ve experienced sexual harassment and many can describe accounts of sexism and a stigma associated with pregnancy and maternity leave.
At Air Force One base, intruder given up by 'mouse ears'
President Joe Biden waves as he and first lady Jill Biden board Air Force One at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Officials said he never got close to Air Force One. Hours later, the man walked undetected onto the flight line by slipping through a fence designed to restrict entry. Said said the modified Boeing 747 that serves as Air Force One for presidential travel was never at risk and that it is kept behind more layers of protection at Andrews. He did no harm and the Air Force investigation report, which was heavily censored by the Air Force before it was released Thursday, concluded that he had no plan to cause harm to Air Force personnel or equipment.
UAE weapons show draws major deals, traders amid pandemic
(AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)ABU DHABI – In spite of the surging coronavirus pandemic, major arms makers descended Sunday on a convention center in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, hoping to make deals with militaries across the Middle East. The UAE unveiled $1.36 billion in local and foreign arms deals to supply its forces with everything from South African drones to Serbian artillery. Significant national pavilions were absent, including the United States, the world’s largest arms exporter. Ad“The threats are obvious lately,” said Walid Abukhaled, CEO of Saudi Arabian Military Industries Company, a holding company owned by the country’s sovereign wealth fund. “If Iran goes into a major rearmament program or starts to flex its muscles, that’s where missile defense and air defense systems come in,” he said.
Inspector general reviews Trump relocation of Space Command
(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)DENVER – The Department of Defense's inspector general announced Friday that it was reviewing the Trump administration's last-minute decision to relocate U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama. “Moving Space Command will disrupt the mission while risking our national security and economic vitality,” the senators said in a joint statement. We fully support the investigation.”Among other duties, the Space Command enables satellite-based navigation and troop communication and provides warning of missile launches. The Space Command differs from the U.S. Space Force, launched in December 2019 as the first new military service since the Air Force was created in 1947. The Space Command is not an individual military service but a central command for militarywide space operations.
Air Force orders new review into racial, ethnic disparities
FILE - In this Feb. 5, 2021, file photo Marine One, with President Joe Biden aboard, is seen past a member of the U.S. Air Force as it approaches Andrews Air Force Base, Md. The Air Force inspector general will do a second investigation into racial and ethnic disparities across the force, service leaders said Friday, expanding the review to include gender and additional racial categories such as Asian and American Indian. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)WASHINGTON – The Air Force inspector general will do a second investigation into racial and ethnic disparities across the force, service leaders said Friday, expanding the review to include gender and additional racial categories such as Asian and American Indian. AdActing Air Force Secretary John Roth, who ordered the latest review, said the IG will go directly to Air Force and Space Force service members for input. “The IG team has already begun to gather information contained in a wide array of previous reports, studies and various databases across the Department of the Air Force,” Roth said.
The Latest: Nebraska-Maryland basketball game postponed
4 UConn says it also must reschedule Wednesday’s women’s basketball game against Seton Hall. The Villanova game was postponed because the Wildcats also are dealing with COVID-19 issues within their women’s basketball program. ___Richmond’s men’s basketball team has paused team activities in response to the results from the latest COVID-19 testing and contact tracing. ___The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Tuesday that the Syracuse women’s basketball game at Georgia Tech on Thursday has been postponed. ___The women’s basketball game between No.
FBI warns of plans for nationwide armed protests next week
FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, violent protesters, loyal to President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol, in Washington. An internal FBI bulletin warned, as of Sunday, that the nationwide protests may start later this week and extend through Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, according to two law enforcement officials who read details of the memo to The Associated Press. The FBI issued at least one other bulletin — they go out to law enforcement nationwide on the topic — before the riots last week. The talk of armed marches next week isn't limited to “radicalized” Trump supporters. It's certainly going to be a judgment call on the part of law enforcement about whether and when to intervene.”___Kunzelman reported from College Park, Maryland.
Woman fatally shot at Capitol echoed Trump on social media
Capitol Police on Thursday identified Babbitt, 35, as the woman who was fatally shot by an unidentified officer. No one answered the door Thursday at the business or the couple's home, a modest duplex in San Diego. Babbitt’s ex-husband, Timothy McEntee, called her a “wonderful woman with a big heart and a strong mind” in an email to The San Diego Union-Tribune. The Air Force said Thursday that Ashli Elizabeth McEntee was on active duty from 2004 to 2008, most recently at Dyes Air Force Base near Abilene, Texas. She was also member of the Air Force Reserve from 2008 to 2010 and the Air National Guard from 2010 to 2016.
Chuck Yeager, 1st to break sound barrier, dies at 97
Gen. Charles Yeager talks to members of the media following a re-enactment flight commemorating his breaking of the sound barrier 65 years earlier, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Yeager, the first pilot to break the sound barrier, died Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, at age 97. Yeager died Monday, his wife, Victoria Yeager, said on his Twitter account. Among the flights he made after breaking the sound barrier was one on Dec. 12. President Harry S. Truman awarded him the Collier air trophy in December 1948 for his breaking the sound barrier. ___This version corrects that Yeager flew an F-15, not an X-15, when he was 79.
Military suicides up as much as 20% in COVID era
The Pentagon refused to provide 2020 data or discuss the issue, but Army officials said discussions in Defense Department briefings indicate there has been up to a 20% jump in overall military suicides this year. Pointing to increases in Army suicides, murders and other violent behavior, he added, “We cannot say definitively it is because of COVID. “COVID adds stress,” said Gen. Charles Brown, the Air Force chief, in public remarks. The active duty Air Force and reserves had 98 suicides as of Sept. 15, unchanged from the same period last year. But last year was the worst in three decades for active duty Air Force suicides.
The Latest: Army football schedule includes Navy, Air Force
The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___Army has finalized its football schedule and the Black Knights will play 11 games, eight at home. The rest of the home slate includes Louisiana-Monroe, BYU, Abilene Christian, The Citadel, Mercer, Air Force and Georgia Southern. ___Duke will open its season for football and other fall sports with no fans at home games because of the coronavirus pandemic. The school will contact football fans who have purchased season or single-game tickets or have seating and suite contracts in Blue Devil Tower regarding potential options. The school will allow fans to purchase a fan cutout of a person or pet to be placed in seats for football games.
Germany welcomes Israeli air force for first joint exercise
A pilot from Israel, left, and a pilot from Germany, right, pose in front of an Eurofighter at the airbase in Noervenich, Germany, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. Pilots from Israel and Germany will fly together the next two weeks during the first joint military Air Force exercises between the two nations in Germany. We work closely together, we do exercises together, German soldiers are being trained in Israel.Israeli Air Force pilot Lt. The Israeli pilots arrived at the base in western Germany on Monday for two weeks of exercises. They are conducting training with the German air force for the first week, and also with planes from the Hungarian air force in the second week.
Trump hosts swearing-in of first Black Air Force chief
President Donald Trump, watches as Vice President Mike Pence swears in Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., as Chief of Staff of the Air Force as his wife Sharene Guilford Brown holds the Bible in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON President Donald Trump hosted the swearing-in of the first Black Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Charles Q. Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath of office to Brown, who was confirmed by the Senate in June in a 98-0 vote. Brown told Trump, It is a distinct honor for me to have this opportunity. He assumes the post later this week.
In a future bomber force, old and ugly beats new and snazzy
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. The Air Force sees it as a matter of money, numbers and strategy. The Air Force also is spending heavily on new fighters and refueling aircraft, and like the rest of the military it foresees tighter defense budgets ahead. A B-2 bomber scarred U.S.-China relations in 1999 when it bombed Beijings embassy in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, killing three people. The Air Force proposes to eliminate 17 of its 62 Lancers in the coming year.
More military bases increase health protections due to virus
The military, however, still has a dramatically low death rate, losing three active-duty service members out of nearly 23,000 virus cases so far. I find that each base does things a little bit different, and theyve adapted very carefully, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said when he traveled to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri this week. The military has relied largely on its local commanders to make decisions about their base restrictions. For example, Army, Navy and Marine commanders had loosened restrictions at those bases in Japan, but reversed those decisions this month. Active-duty military cases of COVID-19 increased steadily through the spring, but began to escalate more sharply in June, jumping by about 3,000 or more a week.
Esper order aims to expand diversity, skirts major decisions
WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Mark Esper took steps Wednesday to expand diversity within the military and reduce prejudice, but he skirted several major decisions, including whether to ban the Confederate flag at defense installations. President Donald Trump has flatly rejected any notion of changing base names, and has defended the flying of the Confederate flag, saying its a freedom of speech issue. The Marine Corps and U.S. commands in Korea and Japan have already banned display of the Confederate flag, saying it can inflame division and weaken unit cohesion. For example, he ordered the military to no longer include photos of service members when they are being considered by a promotion board. He also ordered a review of hairstyle and grooming policies, which all the military services have done multiple times in recent years.
US Air Force plane crashes into North Sea
LONDON A U.S. Air Force fighter plane with one pilot on board crashed into the North Sea on Monday. The status of the pilot wasn't known. The F-15C Eagle from the 48th Fighter Wing was on a routine training mission from RAF Lakenheath when it crashed at 9:40 a.m. Coast guard officials said in a statement that they received reports the plane went down 74 nautical miles off Flamborough Head on the Yorkshire coast. Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force base that hosts the U.S. Air Force's 48th Fighter Wing, known as the Liberty Wing.
Floyd death pushes military to face 'own demons' on race
A military Humvee blocks an intersection along K Street in downtown Washington as demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd, Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington. Although the military historically has prided itself on diversity, leaders acknowledge that black troops often are disproportionately subject to military legal punishment and are impeded in promotions. Blacks make up about 17 percent of the Navy and less than 15 percent of the Air Force. But there is a much greater racial divide within the active duty military based on rank. Brown Jr., has been nominated to lead the Air Force, succeeding Gen. David Goldfein.
Floyd death pushes military to face 'own demons' on race
A military Humvee blocks an intersection along K Street in downtown Washington as demonstrators protest the death of George Floyd, Monday, June 1, 2020, in Washington. Although the military historically has prided itself on diversity, leaders acknowledge that black troops often are disproportionately subject to military legal punishment and are impeded in promotions. Blacks make up about 17 percent of the Navy and less than 15 percent of the Air Force. But there is a much greater racial divide within the active duty military based on rank. Brown Jr., has been nominated to lead the Air Force, succeeding Gen. David Goldfein.
Long-haul carrier Emirates says it fires staff amid virus
Dubais long-haul carrier Emirates said Sunday, May 31, 2020, that it fired an undisclosed number of employees as the coronavirus pandemic has halted global aviation. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)DUBAI Dubai's long-haul carrier Emirates said Sunday it fired an undisclosed number of employees as the coronavirus pandemic has halted global aviation, becoming the latest Mideast airline to shed staff over the outbreak. The carrier said it would treat fired staff with fairness and respect, without elaborating. Previously, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad and Doha-based Qatar Airways similarly fired staff as countries shut down their airspace as the virus spread. Dubai International Airport, the worlds busiest for international passengers that's home to Emirates, has been operating at a fraction of its usual pace.
Thousands defer plans to leave the military during crisis
Antonio Gozikowski was planning to leave the military next month and head to college. That gap, the Air Force said, could be filled by service members who decide to re-enlist or extend their service. For months, he and his fellow pilots at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois had been talking about which airlines were hiring. The Corps has nearly reached its retention goal of about 12,600 for the fiscal year, with only about 100 or so to get by the end of September. It was updated on May 19, 2020, to correct erroneous reporting that the Air Force is expecting to fall short of its recruiting goal by as much as 5,800 .
US military's mystery space plane rockets back into orbit
The U.S. militarys mystery space plane rocketed into orbit again Sunday, May 17 this time with an extra load of science experiments. Its the sixth flight of an X-37B, a solar-powered plane that's flown by remote control without a crew. (Boeing/USSF via AP)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The U.S. militarys mystery space plane rocketed into orbit again Sunday, this time with an extra load of science experiments. Its the sixth flight of an X-37B, a solar-powered plane that's flown by remote control without a crew. Delayed a day by bad weather, this marked just the second rocket launch for the newly established Space Force.
Space Force unveils flag; Trump touts 'super-duper missile'
President Donald Trump stands as Chief of Space Operations at US Space Force Gen. John Raymond, second from left, and Chief Master Sgt. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON The U.S. Space Force the newest branch of the armed services now has its own flag. Defense Department officials presented President Donald Trump with the Space Force flag during a short Oval Office event on Friday. The Space Force, which was officially established in December, is the first new military service since the U.S. Air Force was established in 1947. The 16,000 airmen and civilians that make up the Space Force technically remain part of the Air Force, which previously oversaw offensive operations in space.
VA director on leave after veteran found covered in ants
Marrable's daughter, Laquana Ross, said last week she is not upset with the VA over the ants, but wanted her father's story to prompt change. Stone's statement said that the director of the regional VA network was placed on immediate administrative leave. Scott Isaacks, the Charleston, South Carolina, VA Medical Center director, will take over the position. In a statement to CNN affiliate WSB, the VA said the bedrooms at the facility have been stripped, cleaned and inspected for ants. She told the station she had asked the staff about bumps on her father and was told it was ants.
Air Force's mysterious X-37B spacecraft sets record for time in space
An Air Force X-37B spaceplane just completed its 718th day in orbit, making it the longest mission yet for a secretive military test programLOMPOC, Calif. - An Air Force X-37B spaceplane just completed its 718th day in orbit, making it the longest mission yet for a secretive military test program. The US military has launched five uncrewed X-37B spaceplanes into orbit over the past decade, and each flight has been longer than its predecessor. The current mission has no specified end date, according to Air Force spokesman Major William Russell. The current X-37B plane in orbit, called OTV-5, was launched to space in September 2017 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The first X-37B took off in April 2010 and returned to Earth about eight months later, totaling about 225 days in space.
South Carolina Air Force base to add days off after recent suicides
(CNN) - On Friday, most of the service members of the Air Force's 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force base in South Carolina will get a needed extra day off. The sharply rising number of suicides across the Air Force prompted Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein in early August to order every wing to take a one-day stand down to address the issue of suicide. The base was scheduling three days at separate times as part of its resiliency tactical pause instead of one, he said. On September 13, Shaw Air Force Base is bringing in a speaker for its mandated resiliency day and will have small group discussions. Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Kaleth Wright said in a video earlier this month the number of suicides so far in 2019 (78) is 28 higher for the same time period in 2018.
Guy behind Area 51' page is terrified of what he's created
An Alien sculpture on the side of the road in the town of Baker, California, also known as the 'Gateway to Area 51' on March 4, 2019. On June 27, Matty Roberts, who lives in California, created the Facebook page as a joke, not realizing that millions would rally behind his battle cry to "see them aliens" at the Air Force facility in Nevada. Roberts told KLAS he'd declined interviews as interest was skyrocketing because he thought if he revealed his identity he might have FBI agents showing up at his door. Roberts said he came up with the idea for the meme page after podcaster Joe Rogan interviewed Area 51 whistleblower Bob Lazar and filmmaker Jeremy Corbell. For its part, the Air Force told the Washington Post that Area 51 is an "open training range for the U.S. Air Force, and we would discourage anyone from trying to come into the area where we train American armed forces."
Millions are planning to 'storm' Area 51 in September -- or so they say
A souvenir shop beckons visitors near a junction that leads to Area 51 on July 19, 2014, at Amergosa Valley, Nevada. Related: Area 51: A travel guide for the person who signed up but isn't ready | Lil Nas X is ready for the Area 51 raid | No trespassing: 10 places you're not allowed to visitMore than 1.5 million people have marked themselves as going, and another 1.1 million have said they are interested. But the Air Force doesn't think the event is funny -- and is now warning people not to "storm" Area 51. "The U.S. Air Force is aware of the Facebook event encouraging people to 'Storm Area 51,'" an Air Force spokesperson told NPR. As most people know, Area 51 has been surrounded by conspiracy theories related to aliens and UFOs.
Air Force fighter jet drops dummy bombs over Florida, officials say
Google Maps(CNN) - The Air Force is investigating an incident in which bombs were dropped over Florida on Monday afternoon. During a "routine training mission," an A-10C Thunderbolt II jet, which was assigned to the 23rd Fighter Group, took off from Moody Air Force base located in Lowndes County, Georgia. The bombs have still not been recovered, and the Air Force asks that people refrain from attempting to handle them should they find them. The suspected drop site for the bombs is roughly 54 miles south of Moody Air Force base in northern Florida, just near the border with Georgia. The Air Force estimates that it is 2 kilometers west of Highway 129 near Suwannee Springs.