Unshin Lee Harpley
Unshin Lee Harpley is a reporter at the Air and Space Forces Magazine. Previously, Unshin was a multimedia journalist at Voice of America where she covered local and national stories, including the 2020 Presidential Election. She hosted a weekly program promoting the English language and American culture, targeted at South Korean viewers and North Korean senior officials.
Prior to Voice of America, Unshin was in Seoul at Arirang TV and TBS eFM for three years where she reported on some of the region’s major political, social, and cultural events.
Unshin graduated from Iowa State University where she studied journalism at the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication. Her grandfather, who named her, was a lieutenant colonel served in the Korean War, and she spent half of her life in the States and the other half in South Korea. With her unique background, she has always been eager to explore the dynamics at play within the U.S. military and its profound impact on both domestic and global polices.
She is also passionate about establishing connections within the DMV community and advocating for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voices. Unshin can be reached at uharpley@afa.org
Recent stories by Unshin Lee Harpley
April 29, 2025
Lawmakers in Congress are working to inject tens of billions of dollars into President Donald Trump’s ambitious “Golden Dome” plan for comprehensive missile defense of the U.S. homeland in the coming months.
April 25, 2025
The Air Force deployed a second group of F-35s to Kadena Air Base this month, reinforcing its fighter presence at the key base in the wake of retiring all operational F-15C Eagles from the installation. The stealthy jets and Airmen from the 421st Fighter Squadron, ...
April 24, 2025
The U.S. Air Force will ramp up its fighter presence near North Korea by sending more than two dozen additional F-16s and 1,000 Airmen from Kunsan Air Base to Osan Air Base, South Korea.
April 23, 2025
A dozen F-16s from Misawa Air Base are joining back-to-back exercises across the Philippines’ vast archipelago, including the northernmost major island less than 200 miles from Taiwan.
April 22, 2025
The Air Force has launched yet another new squadron dedicated to electronic warfare as part of its effort to expand expertise in the field. The 23rd Electronic Warfare Squadron stood up at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., home to the service’s sole wing focused on ...
April 21, 2025
The Air Force has tapped sites in Oregon to build its first two new Over-the-Horizon Radars, capable of detecting inbound missile threats from up to 4,000 nautical miles away. The service is hoping to start construction by the end of 2028.
April 17, 2025
The Maryland Air National Guard may be starting to say goodbye to its A-10 “Warthogs,” but it is not slowing down in the meantime, as it recently wrapped up a 11-day “combat readiness” exercise along the East Coast to prepare some of its Airmen for ...
April 9, 2025
President Trump’s picks for the nation’s top uniformed role and the Air Force’s highest-ranking civilian post have been approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee. Along with three other senior defense nominees also selected by Trump, the appointments were “immediately reported” to the Senate floor ...
April 8, 2025
F-35A and F-15E fighter jets touched down at Kadena Air Base in recent days, marking the latest rotation of fighters as the Okinawa base awaits its new permanent F-15EX fleet.
April 8, 2025
Army Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command, told lawmakers that F-16s fly every day in Ukraine, conducting bombing attacks and countering cruise missiles from Russia. The F-16s currently operating in Ukraine are “mainly from Netherlands and Denmark,” but more F-16s "prepared to ...
April 5, 2025
The U.S. Air Force is poised to fill out its full complement of F-35 fighters and reach full operational capability with two squadrons at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom this year, according to the head of the U.S. European Command.
April 2, 2025
Amid an uptick in drone activity nationwide, the commander responsible for safeguarding North American airspace said U.S. Northern Command is acquiring new technology to swiftly deploy to bases around the country to counter these threats.
April 1, 2025
The Air Force’s last Active-Duty F-15C made its final flight earlier this year, as Kadena Air Base in Japan continues its long goodbye to the iconic fighter after more than 45 years of operations. The Eagle’s last sortie at Kadena took place Jan. 24, the ...
March 31, 2025
Multiple A-10 attack aircraft from the Idaho Air National Guard deployed to the Middle East over the weekend. More than 300 Airmen from the 124th Fighter Wing, along with the attack aircraft, were sent to southwest Asia within U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility on ...
March 30, 2025
The first A-10 "Warthog" departed Warfield Air National Guard Base, Md., last week, the first step in a process that could leave Maryland Air Guard the only one among the 50 states without a flying mission. Negotiations to acquire a follow-on flying mission have stalled.
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