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Air Force pilots and others in rated fields who opt to stay in uniform can earn up to $600,000 over 12 years under the latest round of retention bonuses announced Nov. 30. The fiscal year 2024 incentives offer manned aircraft and drone pilots, combat systems operators and air battle managers an extra $15,000 to $50,000 per year, depending on their assigned aircraft and the years to which they commit. Annual bonus pay programs aim to keep airmen around to blunt the effects of a pilot shortage that has lasted decades, robbing the service of aviators in policy jobs that rely...

An unauthorized vehicle attempted to enter the headquarters of U.S. Strategic Command (Stratcom) Thursday night, prompting gunshots and a lockdown before the driver backed away and left the base. Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, which is home to Stratcom, said the unknown vehicle tried to enter the main gate of the facility at 10 p.m. Offutt security forces activated a barrier system that prevented the vehicle from entering, forcing the individual to turn around. Security also fired shots at the vehicle before it fled the scene, according to the base, and a lockdown was initiated out of an abundance...

In the latest example of leftist identity politics infecting the U.S. military, The Federalist has discovered that a high-ranking Air Force official recently promoted by President Joe Biden participated in a 2022 California “pride” parade.Nominated by Biden to serve as major general earlier this month, Air Force Brig. Gen. Steven J. Butow was among several U.S. service members to participate in the 2022 Silicon Valley Pride Parade. Butow currently serves as commander of the California Air National Guard.A picture taken by Tech. Sgt. Stefany Leyva and posted to DVIDS, a military media database, shows Butow posing for a photograph alongside...

Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota recently sent service members a text message warning them that their “continued service” could be in jeopardy if they attended a local rally featuring a speaker from an organization that has historically been supportive of former President Donald Trump. In the text message sent to the Air Force base’s service members, leadership warned “participation with groups such as Turning Point Action could jeopardize their continued service in the U.S. military.” Leadership warned Air Force members that some of the people attending the rally “could be confrontational to military members.” ... Turning Point Action...

Controversy is brewing at a ​North Dakota Air Force base after its leadership issued a warning to service members cautioning against attending a downtown rally featuring a pro-Trump speaker.The message, shared with personnel via text, advised individuals to exercise caution downtown and highlighted the potential dangers associated with the “​Dakota Patriot Rally,” which took place on November 17 at the state fairgrounds in Minot.The warning specifically noted concerns of confrontational behavior toward military members during the event. Additionally, the message mentioned that the rally would feature a guest speaker, Tyler Bowyer from ​Turning Point USA, categorized as an “alt-right” organization....

Come Back, All is Forgiven: Servicemembers who were discharged from the military for refusing to comply with the now-changed COVID mandate are being wooed to return to service by various branches of the military. Critics say the real motivation is failing recruitment stats. The letters are "not an apology” or an “attempt to make things right,” said one military defense lawyer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Both the U.S. Army and Air Force have sent letters to former servicemembers who were separated from the military branches for refusing to comply with the 2021 Defense Department’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, providing guidance on how to seek...

On Veterans Day we remember from WWII the hazards faced by the young men who became our fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers. For example, the 8th Air Force suffered over 26,000 dead compared to the Marine Corps losing nearly 20,000 killed in the Pacific. Their bombers were mainly crewed by teenagers and men in their early twenties, but of all crew members the ball turret gunner confronted the most dismal fate.The emerging certainty the United States would be drawn into WW II promoted creation of an autonomous Army Air Force. Until the war in Europe began, dominate Army doctrine gave the...

(Daily Signal)—Col. Ben Jonsson, an Air Force officer who accused his fellow “white colonels” of being “blind to institutional racism,” was the subject of blistering critiques from subordinates at MacDill Air Force Base, where he served as commander from 2020 to 2022. Jonsson is among the more than 300 military officers awaiting Senate approval for a promotion. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has blocked Democrats—and now some Republicans—from rubber-stamping these promotions in a dispute over the Pentagon’s taxpayer-funded abortion policy.. This week, Democrats introduced a resolution that would change Senate rules for military promotions, bypassing Tuberville’s blockade. If successful, military officers...

In comments given to the National Interest, former Trump National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien explained that the U.S. Air Force needs 300-400 B-21 Raider stealth bombers considering the growing threat from China's rising military might.

Russia's air force has lost 90 planes since the start of the war in Ukraine and is becoming less formidable by overworking its jets, UK intelligence said. The British Ministry of Defence said in its latest daily intelligence update on Thursday that Russia is quickly depleting its fleet of warplanes through overuse because the conflict is dragging on for much longer than anticipated. "All aircraft have a projected lifespan, in flying hours," the update said, adding that it's highly likely that with the extra use, Russia is "eating into many of its airframes' lifespans" far more quickly than planned for....

In a win for HIV prevention and an Air Force LGBTQ group, the Department of the Air Force recently announced that it will ease flight restrictions for pilots and air crew taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention, according to an Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) news release. Under previous guidelines, pilots and air crew starting PrEP were grounded for 30 days in case they experienced side effects acclimating to the medications, reports Air Force Times. That wait period has now been shaved down to 14 days.

As we commemorate the 9/11 terror attacks, we're taking a look back at "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell's 2021 interview with Air National Guard pilots Lt. Gen. Marc Sasseville and Heather Penney. They recounted the harrowing events from that Tuesday morning in 2001 when they heroically rushed into their F-16 fighter jets in what they knew might be their last mission to protect the nation's capital after the World Trade Center attacks in New York City. Tune in for exclusive Air Traffic Control audio over the Eastern seaboard.

If diversity makes us stronger, why does it require lower standards? Air Force Chief of Staff Charles Q. Brown Jr, Biden’s nominee to replace Milley as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had signed off on a memo to impose a 43% quota for white male officers in the Air Force. That would be catastrophic at a time when the Air Force is struggling with recruitment, faces a shortage of over 1,000 pilots and 86% of its pilots are white men. Brown, who claimed that America is racist and that he faced racism when someone questioned whether he was...

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has asked the Biden administration to choose between promotions for senior officers and abortion in the military. Three of Biden’s appointees, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro and Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall collaborated on a Washington Post op-ed describing Sen Tuberville’s hold on military promotion as “putting our national security at risk”. They claim that continuing to do so will “have a corrosive effect on the force” and they insist that they will go on putting abortion ahead of national security. The Biden appointees claim that abortion on demand in the military...

The Pentagon has gone to great ends to hide its wokery whenever it gets caught. They've shut down drag shows on U.S. military bases. They've kicked openly white-hating wokesters teaching military kids upstairs to other things. They've taken down their Pride Month flags and tweets. They've changed course on hunting for "extremists" in the ranks when news emerged that they missed actual miscreants under their noses. They've investigated dog-sex officer pervert rings that had been going on for a long time in Hawaii. They've also denied, in testimony to Congress at appropriations time, that they are wokesters.But personnel is policy...

Tinker Air Force Base officials say 17 personnel have died this year. After being first reported by military.com, Tinker Installation Commander, Col. Abigail Ruscetta now confirms that Tinker Air Force Base has ‘experienced 17 deaths since January.’ According to Ruscetta, 11 uniformed and civilian Airmen died as a result of natural causes or accidents. The six remaining deaths are a result of other causes, some of which remain under investigation. Ruscetta says most of those who died were civilians

Leftists have gone on the attack against the U.S. Air Force Academy football team for honoring the WWII Doolittle Raid on Japan that occurred immediately after the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. On Tuesday, Air Force Football revealed its new uniforms, which feature a tribute to the Doolittle Raid. Left-wing trolls blasted the Air Force for celebrating the raid conducted by American heroes who showed Japan that the U.S. was not down for the count after taking such heavy losses at Pearl.

An Air Force colonel nominated by President Joe Biden once claimed that “white colonels” are the “biggest barriers” to addressing so-called “racial injustice” in the U.S. military, according to a new report. On Thursday, The Daily Signal’s Rob Bluey reported that Col. Benjamin Jonsson, who is “currently awaiting promotion to brigadier general,” penned an article in the Air Force Times weeks after George Floyd’s death lamenting his fellow white airmen don’t go along with leftist talking points about so-called “racial injustice” in the U.S. armed forces. “As white colonels, you and I are the biggest barriers to change if we...

A new report from Military.com has revealed that Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma is refusing to reveal the cause of death for 17 base personnel who have passed away this year. How does one base have a death toll of 17 in the span of eight months? Why would the base not want to share information concerning what happened to these individuals and why so many people at one military installation have died?Since the base is funded with American tax dollars and the people dying are public servants, I think the general public has a right to know what...

Nigerien Air Base 201 in Agadez, Niger is the largest Air Force-led Construction project in recent history. It’s 6000-foot runway will expand the Air Force’s ability to project air power to western Africa to combat growing violent extremists in the region. 600 REDHORSE Airmen spent 1000 days battling environmental and logistical hurdles to build the critical base in the Sahel region.