Enlisted Airman Becomes First to Receive Air Force Cross

Sept. 9, 1967

Sgt. Duane D. Hackney is presented with the Air Force Cross for bravery in rescuing an Air Force pilot in Vietnam. He is the first living enlisted man to receive the award.

Space Force Adds 5 New Vendors to Space Data Network Project

Aug. 14, 2026

The Space Force announced five new contract awards for its Space Data Network, a move to broaden the vendor base for the proliferated data transport constellation.

Report Pushes New Training Approach for Air Force on AI and Tech

Aug. 13, 2026

A new report on modernizing Air Force training and education suggests borrowing a method from the civilian technology industry to help Airmen and Guardians build skills in key new areas like artificial intelligence: stackable certificates.

Saltzman Prepares to Leave ‘Combat-Credible, Battle-Tested’ Space Force

Aug. 13, 2026

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, and Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force John F. Bentivegna paid tribute to Gen. B. Chance Saltzman at the Chief of Space Operations’ Aug. 13 retirement ceremony, ahead of a formal change of responsibility…

SPACECOM Wants to Proliferate Ground Stations—and Counter Adversary Proliferation

Aug. 13, 2026

The head of U.S. Space Command said Aug. 12 that operations in Iran have shown just how vulnerable ground-based space assets—particularly missile defense systems—are to attack and called for a more resilient, mobile architecture.

Space Force Plans Two More Missions to Test Tactically Responsive Maneuvers

Aug. 13, 2026

The Space Force has tapped startup Impulse Space for two new tactically responsive space missions, the latest in a series meant to build the service’s agility in orbit.

Watchdog Presses DOD to Fix Decaying Infrastructure at Pacific Air Bases

Aug. 12, 2026

The Pentagon’s watchdog has identified serious concerns over corrosion, mold, and the structural decline of “critical infrastructure” at Air Force bases and other military installations in the Pacific, according to a recent report.

Space Command to Host Live-Fly Advanced Maneuver Exercise

Aug. 12, 2026

U.S. Space Command is preparing to host a live-fly exercise in the coming weeks to test advanced maneuver concepts that will inform its strategy for dynamic operations in orbit.

Air Force Moves Ahead with Plan to Put HH-60W at Andrews

Aug. 12, 2026

New helicopters, a new unit, and more Airmen are primed to move to Joint Base Andrews, Md., as the Air Force upgrades to modified HH-60Ws for its executive transport needs around the nation's capital.

Summer at USAFA: Academy Aims to Teach Airmanship to All

Aug. 12, 2026

The Air Force Academy operates the largest glider program in the U.S., with more than 15,000 flights every year—almost entirely led and managed by the youngest instructor pilots in the Air Force. The enterprise is poised to get even busier as USAFA leaders drive toward their ambitious objective: to get…

Enlisted Airman Becomes First to Receive Air Force Cross

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