Seven F-22 Raptor pilots have recently been awarded one of the military’s highest decorations for their actions during operations in the Middle East. Six of the pilots were decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes ...
Air National Guard
The Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing received its first F-35A Joint Strike Fighter on Sept. 13, becoming the latest unit to get its hands on the new fifth-generation jet.
The Air Force announced Aug. 13 it recently tested prototypes for a portable ground station for commanding and controlling semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft, and a spokesperson now says the plan is to award a contract for the effort next summer.
Three F-16s that flew in defense of Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11, 2001, will be retired and preserved as museum artifacts.
An F-16 Air National Guard unit’s six-month deployment to Kadena Air Base, Japan, this year illustrated the capabilities the Guard’s oldest fighter units can still offer—but also the challenges they face, officials told reporters this week.
The Air National Guard is offering $7,500 bonus to Guard members for a three-year reenlistment before the end of fiscal 2026, but time is running out.
The final class of new A-10C Thunderbolt II pilots graduated from training this month, signaling another step in the Air Force’s goal of retiring the venerable close air support aircraft in the coming years.
Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve leaders warn that the Air Force must modernize their fighter fleets along with the Active force, or they risk losing combat-tested talent and making the reserve forces irrelevant in future operations.
The Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard are working to equalize their members' status and benefits with those of Active-Duty members when both serve in the same missions.
Air Force F-16 pilot Lt. Col. Eric R. Emerson, who commanded a small quick reaction force of fighters responding to Iranian-backed militia groups in 2024, became the first Air National Guardsman presented with the Anthony C. Shine Award on Feb. 10.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, one of two National Guard members shot in a Washington, D.C., attack, will soon be awarded the Purple Heart.
Lawmakers in Congress have introduced new legislation aimed at fixing a complex system that has many times prevented Airmen serving on Air National Guard and Reserve duty status from getting the same benefits as their Active-duty counterparts.