U.S. Air Force Col. Lee Neitzel reaffirms the officer’s oath during his promotion ceremony to at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, Syracuse, New York, March 25, 2026. Neitzel recently assumed command of the 174th Maintenance Group. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Dylan McCrink
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2026 USAF & USSF ALMANAC: Awards
June 18, 2026
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Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
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Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org
For Airmen and Guardians, buying a home means weighing the same financial considerations as civilian families while also adapting to the demands of military life. Permanent changes of station can happen with little notice, and deployments and temporary duty assignments can alter carefully made plans.
Active-Duty Airmen must ensure they have a waist-to-height ratio assessment in their official record within the next two weeks, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said in a July 13 letter to the force focused on physical fitness and appearance standards.
The Air Force has officially decided the B-21 Raider will fly with a two-pilot air crew—and it may draw from the ranks of weapon system and combat systems officers to fill those roles.
Scoring errors revealed in a review of recent Air Force promotions means that 135 security forces staff sergeants are getting belated good news about promotions—while 135 others are discovering they will not be promoted as previously told.
A flu outbreak at Air Force Basic Military Training has killed one recruit and sickened more than 280 others at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, according to the congressman who represents the base.
The Air Force is developing a new enlisted job specialty to defend bases against missile and drone attacks. Alarming damage to air bases across the Middle East during Operation Epic Fury focused leaders’ attention on the requirement.
President Donald Trump has nominated 20 Air Force brigadier generals for another star, according to a June 22 Pentagon announcement, including the heads of recruiting, ICBM acquisition, and a top training center.
The Air Force’s promotion rate for new technical sergeants is holding steady in 2026 at around one-quarter of those eligible—but a sharp decline in the pool of those considered means the total number of new E-6s will be much lower.
When Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman addressed the graduating class of the Air Force Weapons School on June 13, he marked a milestone as the first Guardian to do so—and gave a sneak peek of the service’s new mess dress.
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