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Source: United States Air Force
SecAF Kendall Visited Łask Air Base to gain a deeper understanding of Det. 1 and the 495th FS missions as well as build ties with the Polish air force as part of his larger trip throughout the U.S. European Command AOR.
Source: United States Air Force
The U.S. Air Force is replacing the 54-year-old LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBM weapon system with the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM. Upgrading to Sentinel ICBMs ensures the land-based leg of America’s Nuclear Triad remains safe, secure & effective.
Source: United States Air Force
The 13th CABS is the first of its kind in the Air Force and will set the stage for the future of the Air Force’s Force Generation deployment model in an effort for the service to adapt and innovate in response to growing global challenges.
Source: United States Air Force
U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army personnel sourced from 15 locations around the globe arrived in Paraguay in support of Phase II of AMISTAD24, in the first ever active-duty-led U.S. military medical assistance mission in the country.
Source: United States Air Force
In line with DAF’s efforts to reoptimize for GPC, leaders at AETC are following through on upgrading the service’s development ecosystem with a goal of providing digital-age training and education in alignment with the evolving needs of the warfighter.
Source: United States Air Force
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Flosi received an inside look into the life of nearly 13,000 Airmen and Guardians deployed under the Ninth Air Force during his first trip as the CMSAF to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility across the Middle East, July 22-26.
Source: United States Air Force
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AFNS) —
For the first time, the Department of the Air Force-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Artificial Intelligence Accelerator has welcomed two Marines into the newest cohort of accelerator Phantoms, marking a significant milestone in the program’s reach.
The Phantom Program, which admitted only DAF personnel up to this point, allows Airmen and Guardians to collaborate with world class AI researchers. The inclusion of Marines underscores the innovation needs and capabilities of service members across the Department of Defense.
“Marines have always been innovators, from amphibious operations to naval aviation, and will continue to carry on that tradition,” said Lt. Gen. Matthew G. Glavy, deputy commandant, information, of the United States Marine Corps. “AI presents yet another opportunity for Marines to showcase their ability to fuse technology, people and processes to generate favorable outcomes across the competition continuum.”
Traditionally, the program was compromised of only Airmen and Guardians, but now benefits from the unique perspectives and expertise of the Marine Corps.
“Marines bring a unique perspective to military operations, a perspective that can only enrich the AIA’s own diversity of experience,” said Col. Garry Floyd, director of the MIT-AI Accelerator. “Given the broad nature of the AIA’s portfolio we are certain to find synergies across our efforts to develop and deploy difference making capabilities for operations.”
The inclusion of Marine Corps active-duty members reflect the USMC’s commitment to harnessing AI’s potential.
“Partnering with MIT and the DAF AI Accelerator provides an opportunity to rapidly upskill our Marines to support the Marine Corps’ acceleration of AI adoption, ultimately leading to increased decision advantage for commanders at all echelons,” Glavy said.
During the five-month fellowship, Marine Phantoms will engage in cutting-edge AI research, rapid prototyping of AI algorithms, and scaling applications for real-world use.
A unique aspect of the Phantom Program is the requirement for each participant to produce a publishable impact paper. This not only enhances the program’s value but also contributes significantly to military AI research.
The DAF-MIT AI Accelerator aims to accelerate fundamental AI research to improve Air Force operations and address societal needs. By including Marines, the program is taking a crucial step toward a more integrated and technologically advanced joint force.
“Ultimately the AIA is about accelerating the development and deployment of AI capabilities for the DAF…and the DoD,” Floyd said. “Marines conduct operations in all domains of warfare, so when they asked if they could send representatives to this Phantom Cohort, it was an easy yes. We’ll benefit from their perspective, and this provides the Marines with a cost-effective way of accelerating their own AI Roadmap.”
Source: United States Air Force
MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. (AFNS) —
The Thomas N. Barnes Center for Enlisted Education’s Foundations curriculum achieved full operational capability July 19, after nine months of course testing and training.
The last Barnes Center mobile training team departed Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans after graduating 50 Louisiana Air National Guard Airmen from Airmanship 300, 500 and 700 courses. Since November 2023, 34 teams trained 1,386 total force Airmen.
“These Foundations courses were developed, tested and implemented in record time,” said Col. Damian Schlussel, Barnes Center commander. “What would normally take a few years, we have done in months. I am so proud of our staff and impressed with the work our curriculum developers and instructors have accomplished.”
In a letter to the force on Sept. 18, 2023, then-Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. and then-Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Joanne S. Bass, stated that Foundations courses will replace base-level professional enhancement seminars beginning in October 2023 and become prerequisite courses for enlisted professional military education starting in late 2024.
The Barnes Center, in conjunction with development advisors, major command functional managers and Headquarters Air Force, Force Development, developed the foundations courses as part of the Enlisted Airmanship Continuum, outlined in the same letter to the force. The continuum focuses on enhancing the professional military education and development of total force enlisted Airmen and fill the gaps between legacy professional military education schools such as Airman Leadership School and the Noncommissioned Officer Academy.
“Some Airmen go five or six years between PME courses, which is way too long,” Schlussel said. “These courses close that developmental gap by delivering the right content at the right time in an Airman’s career.”
The BCEE Foundations curriculum team, along with 56 instructors from Airey, Sheppard and Mathies NCO academies, invested a collective 27,720 hours over 90 consecutive days to developing and refining course content between July and September of 2023.
“We started in July and were told to focus on the 500-level only, with a two-year timeframe,” said Tech. Sgt. Kate Hytinen, Barnes Center Foundations noncommissioned officer in charge. “A few days later, we learned we needed to develop 300-, 500-, and 700-level content by September to ensure the courses would roll out at the same time and to support reoptimizing the Air Force in an era of Great Power Competition. It was all-hands-on-deck.”
The team also hosted a 10-day seminar in October 2023, connecting 48 subject matter experts from all the major commands for a comprehensive course curriculum review. The seminar resulted in 53 complete lesson plans prior to initial operational capability testing, which ran from November 2023 to February 2024.
During IOC, 30 NCO Academy instructors formed mobile training teams for 12 locations. The teams taught 30 classes but were also responsible for evaluating curriculum and gathering course feedback from the 352 graduates.
During FOC, March to July 2024, 24 NCO Academy instructors continued to deliver course content and gather feedback at 22 locations, but also began training developmental advisors and equivalent Foundations instructors to facilitate base-level training across the force. The FOC training teams graduated 693 Airmen from 82 locations around the world and trained 341 developmental advisors or equivalent personnel.
“Our mission was clear and concise, and our team had support from the top down,” Hytinen said. “It was a lot of long days, weekends and late nights for the team, but we were able to do it, and do it well.”
Moving forward, MAJCOMs [major commands] will incorporate the five-day Foundations courses into their base’s educational catalogs. Base developmental advisors will lead and manage the courses. The Barnes Center will continue to provide 80% of the course content, while MAJCOMs and wings provide the remaining 20%.
In a July 12, 2024, memorandum to all MAJCOM manpower and personnel directorates, Crystal L. Moore, Headquarters Air Force, Force Development director, outlined the official policy and procedural guidance to implement the Enlisted Airmanship Continuum Foundations Courses, making Airmanship 300, 500 and 700 official EPME prerequisites beginning Dec. 31, 2025.
Hytinen will soon leave the Barnes Center, as she was selected to be a warrant officer instructor for the Warrant Officer Training School, soon to open on Maxwell AFB. She credits her experiences in standing up the Foundations courses as the reason for her selection. “I’ve learned so much and it has given me more confidence in my abilities,” she said.
Source: United States Air Force
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (AFNS) —
The Military Child Care in Your Neighborhood fee assistance program, available to active-duty and certain reserve members of the Department of the Air Force is now being extended to federal civilian families.
The program aims to make affordable, high-quality childcare accessible to more families, addressing a critical need within the Air Force.
“The program includes civilian employees who either do not live near an installation with child and youth programs or are stationed at installations pre-identified as eligible for fee assistance, such as Hanscom Air Force Base,” said Rachel Washington-Freeman, Child Development Center director.
The MCCYN program supports families by ensuring they pay no more for off-base childcare than they would for on-installation care, up to a set ca
“Fee assistance goal is to have family’s pay the equivalent to or as close as possible to the cost of care on military installations,” Washington-Freeman said.
This initiative significantly reduces the financial burden on Hanscom AFB families.
“This is critical support for our civilian personnel who have long faced challenges in accessing affordable childcare,” Washington-Freeman said. “By extending this program to civilians, we’re making it easier for them to balance their professional and family responsibilities.”
DAF civilians interested in the program can visit here to determine their eligibility, explore qualifying providers and apply for assistance.
According to officials, this secure online portal simplifies the process, providing a centralized resource for families navigating their childcare options.
Initially, the program was available to active-duty DAF personnel, full-time or deployed Guard/Reserve Airmen and Guardians, Air Guard/Reserve technicians, survivors of combat fallen warriors and wounded, ill, or injured servicemembers who lacked access to on-base childcare.
Source: United States Air Force
ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —
The Air Force announced today the first cohort of 78 Total Force Airmen to attend the new Warrant Officer Training School on Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.
“These Airmen are poised to assume critical roles as technical experts, functional leaders, and advisors within their specialized domains,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin. “They possess the cutting-edge skills we need to address the multifaceted challenges of today’s dynamic security landscape. Their selection is not only a testament to their talents, but also to our commitment to rapidly reoptimize the U.S. Air Force for our strategic environment.”
The Warrant Officer Corps will address critical operational needs while maintaining highly perishable skills and leveraging the deep expertise and technical capabilities of these Airmen.
The group consists of active duty, Reserve and guard Airmen. Selected Airmen will learn foundational principles that complement their technical expertise and enable them to successfully perform their role as warrant officers.
“We are using all tools available to ensure we keep our competitive advantage and expand our force’s capabilities in the cyber domain,” said Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi. “Our investment in the Warrant Officer Program preserves and enhances our Airmen’s technical skills. We are committed to making these necessary changes quickly in a strategic environment defined by Great Power Competition.”
Airmen in the first cohort will be divided into three classes with the first class starting in October. After graduation, the first warrant officers are expected to arrive at their duty stations in early 2025.
The complete list of Airmen selected to become warrant officers is available through myFSS.