Daily Report

TSgt. Mark A. Smith, 30, a flight engineer with the 33rd Rescue Squadron at Kadena AB, Japan, died last week when his HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopter crashed in Okinawa’s Central Training Area, announced Kadena officials. “Smitty was a total...

The March deployment of stealthy F-22s and B-2s to South Korea was an effective use of airpower—North Korea’s belligerent tone softened—but it also highlighted how complex air operations can be and why readiness is so critical. “Think about putting together...

Lt. Gen. Russell Handy took command of 11th Air Force during a ceremony last week at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. In his new role, he also leads US Pacific Command’s Alaskan Command and the Alaskan NORAD Region. Handy received his third...

President Obama last week announced four measures he said would reform National Security Agency surveillance activities to ensure that they do not violate US citizens’ civil liberties. His action comes after public concern that the government has overstepped those bounds...

The Air Force Reserve is focused on “moving capacity and capability into a more efficient and effective force structure,” said AFR Chief Lt. Gen. James Jackson. Speaking Aug. 9 at the Reserve Officers Association’s National Security Symposium in Washington, D.C.,...

Afghan military forces have proven themselves capable in combat, but US and NATO forces are still necessary to suppress the threat of al Qaeda and other terrorist groups in the region, said Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top US...

A chafed electrical wire arced on an F-22, leading to an internal fire that caused the aircraft’s crash during a training mission at Tyndall AFB, Fla., last November, announced Air Combat Command. The pilot safely ejected, sustaining no significant injuries,...

In addition to exercising with allies bilaterally, US Central Command is working to increase multilateral ties between allies in the Middle East, something that has been historically challenging. Brig. Gen. Jeff Harrigian, CENTCOM’s director of operations, said the command’s Eager...

The Missouri Air National Guard’s 131st Bomb Wing, which helps to fly and maintain the Air Force’s B-2 fleet at Whiteman Air Force Base, is now fully certified to conduct the bombers’ nuclear mission, according to a wing release. The...

Air Force Reserve Command’s 302nd Airlift Wing last week rejoined aerial firefighting activities in the northwestern United States by dispatching one of its specially configured C-130s to Boise, Idaho, according to a unit release. A second Modular Airborne Firefighting System-equipped...