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How do you settle a rather sizeable bill for your milk delivery? If you are a cash-strapped superpower the answer is, apparently, to offer up a pair of fighter jets and a nuclear submarine as payment. The extraordinary offer was made by Russia to New Zealand in 1993, a new book reveals. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia was struggling to pay the $100m it owed New Zealand for a range of imported dairy products. In a meeting with Russian officials to thrash out payment terms, Jim Bolger, then New Zealand prime minister, was "absolutely stunned" to be...

The Air Force on Friday fired the general in charge of all land-based nuclear missiles, the second time in a week that a senior commander of the country’s nuclear arsenal has been let go for allegations of personal misconduct. Maj. Gen. Michael Carey, commander of the 20th Air Force, was removed from his job “due to a loss of trust and confidence in his leadership and judgment,” said Brig. Gen. Les Kodlick, an Air Force spokesman. Air Force officials said Carey has been under investigation since this summer for allegations of “personal misbehavior” but would not specify what prompted his...

**SNIP** “The U.S. Air Force Academy has removed the words ‘So help me God’ from some written materials, including the oath administered to USAF inductees based upon the objections of a single atheist,” says Tom Fitton, director of Judicial Watch. **SNIP** “Unilaterally removing ‘so help me God’ from Air Force Academy materials is at odds with our nation’s history, the rule of law, and the fundamental values of the American people,” Mr. Fitton observes. “We want to get to the bottom of this controversy and it is a shame we had to go to court to try to get past...

This is about having priorities. Standing up for something. Having substance. So without money to fund things during this federal government shutdown, sacrifices just have to be made. The Department of Defense on Tuesday suspended intercollegiate sporting events at the service academies. For now, Air Force can’t pay to fly to Saturday’s football game at Navy. And Navy can’t hold the game, anyway. And here’s the problem with both of those things: They. Are. Not. True.

The record crowd that is expected to attend the U.S. Naval Academy – U.S. Air Force Academy football game in Annapolis, Md., Saturday may be in for a huge disappointment. The Department of Defense announced today that all intercollegiate athletic competitions at the service academies have been suspended due to the federal government shutdown.

Air strike with SU-25, from chechen war SU-25 used FAB 500 (1102.31 lbs) bomb, and NURS

One of the most distinctive features of U.S. military power is the Air Force’s fleet of heavy bombers. .... However, after 80 years of steadily developing better bombers — basically, since it entered World War One — the U.S. ceased spending money on new long-range strike aircraft following the collapse of the Soviet Union. There aren’t many bombers left. All of the bombers are old. No new bomber is waiting in the wings.

SMSgt Phillip Monk, an airman who claimed he lost his job due to his Christian beliefs, was mirandized by Air Force investigators over two weeks ago. According to his attorneys at the Liberty Institute:  During a meeting [two weeks ago], Air Force investigators read Liberty Institute’s client SMSgt Phillip Monk his Miranda rights, alleging that SMSgt Monk’s religious discrimination complaint was false. Monk, a devout Christian, believes the claims are a retaliatory act by his former commander, who relieved Monk of his duties and reassigned him after Monk could not agree with his commander’s position regarding same-sex marriage. In the military, making a...

Updating our earlier report on Senior Master Sergeant Phillip Monk, a Christian serving in the Air Force whose unit is now commanded by a lesbian: according to Monk’s complaint filed with his superiors, he was relieved of duty for refusing his commander’s order to say he supports gay marriage. Now the Air Force has taken the first steps to criminally investigate Monk for talking to the media about his situation. Despite the fact that earlier this year the Obama-Hagel Pentagon said they would never court-martial a service member for their Christian faith, they have taken the first steps to possibly...

This spring, it was headline news when one-third of America's active duty Air Force combat aircraft, including fighter and bomber units, were grounded due to automatic budget cuts. This became a real and tangible problem when the U.S. military started seriously evaluating available options for the Commander-in-Chief in Syria. A no-fly zone was considered one choice at the top of the list. But had the Air Force been called into short-notice action, there would have been serious problems with mission execution and success as a result of these widespread aircraft groundings. Now the military is again updating its choices...

Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Monk has served in the U.S. Air Force for 19 years with a clean service record. But his new lesbian commander has relieved him of duty and is threatening his career, allegedly because of his Christian beliefs regarding gay marriage. Officials are investigating as Monk appeals his punishment. Monk was First Sergeant of the 326th Training Squadron, stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. According to his attorneys, Monk recently returned from a deployment and found he had a new commander, Maj. Elisa Valenzuela, who is openly lesbian. Monk explained to Fox News...

Jewels and the Brunchettes, a drag queen group of entertainers, were invited to perform at the Los Angeles Air Force Base on August 8 as part of a “Diversity Day” celebration, according to Fox News. Fox News’ Todd Starnes reported that three individuals dressed in drag were featured in a musical performance that sparked outrage among some military personnel, who called the performance “totally offensive and inappropriate.” Photographs of the event published by Fox show an individual wearing a giant wig performing to an almost non-existent audience sitting beneath the American flag. The Los Angeles Air Force Base’s Facebook page...

An airman who was relieved of his duties after he told his commanding officer that he could not support gay marriage has filed a formal complaint with the military alleging he is the victim of religious discrimination. Senior Master Sgt. Monk, a 19-year veteran of the Air Force was punished after he disagreed with his commander when she wanted to severely reprimand an instructor who had expressed religious objections to homosexuality. “I was relieved of my position because I don’t agree with my commander’s position on gay marriage,” Monk told Fox News. “We’ve been told that if you publicly say...

SAN ANTONIO – A Christian Air Force Veteran has been relieved of his duties after declining to affirm homosexual marriage.Senior Master Sergeant Phillip Monk has served in the Air Force for 19 years, and has been stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. When he recently returned from deployment, he found that he had a new commander, who was a lesbian.Monk says that in his early communication with the commander, he knew there would be concerns.“She said she wanted a chaplain but objected to one particular chaplain that she called a ‘bigot’ because he preached that homosexuality is...

A nationwide effort has begun to save the Air Force’s A-10 after Arizona Senator Jeff Flake revealed on the James T. Harris radio show that plans were in place to mothball the craft. Boots on the ground have joined A-10 pilots and crews to save the plane that has frequently saved them. Fans of the A-10 warthog are circulating a petition in the hopes of gathering 100,000 signatures by September 16. Facebook groups Stand for Protecting Heroes, Keep the A10 in the U.S. Military, and Save the A-10 deployed rapidly in defense of the plane that offers them their best...

A 19-year veteran of the Air Force said he was relieved of his duties after he disagreed with his openly gay commander when she wanted to severely punish an instructor who had expressed religious objections to homosexuality. “I was relieved of my position because I don’t agree with my commander’s position on gay marriage,” Senior Master Sgt. Phillip Monk told Fox News. “We’ve been told that if you publicly say that homosexuality is wrong, you are in violation of Air Force policy.” The Liberty Institute is representing the Christian airman in case the Pentagon decides to retaliate. “Are we going...

Gen. Mark Welsh, the chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, has completed a secret visit to Israel, where was the guest of the Commander of the Israel Air Force, Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel. snip The officials discussed a number of topics including mutual security challenges in light of the regional security situation. Welsh and Eshel also discussed plans to further strengthen the cooperation between the U.S. Air Force and the Israel Air Force, according to the IDF. The meeting, which reportedly was kept secret at the request of the United States, comes in advance of a scheduled visit by...

Notice how the Russian VDV Airborne Paras jump without d-bags dangling outside the aircraft such that they can jump IN FRONT OF IL-76 JET ENGINES! By using drogue chutes they exit the plane clean and can have timers delay openings for HIGH ALTITUDE mass tactical jumps without trying to teach everyone belabored civilian skydiving stable body position skills. This means more Paras can jump from more doors and land closer together near their BMD light tank/APC to get into action far faster than U.S. Airborne equipment and techniques. And the VDV can jump with their IL-76 jets not having to...

Chris Anderson said he and his wife, Sue, haven't gotten the answers they deserve, but their plight has received attention from the United States Air Force top brass. "Guess who I just got off the line with? Gen. Mark Welsh, the chief of staff of the Air Force," said Anderson, adding that inquiries from Boise Weekly and the Associated Press are "definitely ruffling some feathers." It was the first sliver of hope that the Andersons have had since the death of their 19-year-old daughter, USAF Airman First Class Kelsey Anderson. She was found shot with her own service weapon while...

Eric Fanning, the acting secretary of the U.S. Air Force and the first openly homosexual to hold the post, touted how “gay pride” events were being celebrated around the globe, including in Afghanistan. Fanning said he wanted to give “a shout-out to all the other DOD Pride events” at the Department of Defense’s LGBT Pride Month event at the Pentagon on Tuesday.Eric Fanning, acting secretary of the U.S. Air Force and openly homosexual.(VIDEO-AT-LINK) “This is not the DOD pride event,” Fanning said. “They're all over the world, including in Kandahar and Bagram this week in Afghanistan.” The U.S. State Department’s...