Free Republic

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On Sept. 18, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) joins a grateful nation in celebrating the 79th birthday of the United States Air Force and honoring the generations of airmen whose service and sacrifice have helped defend America at home and around the world.Born from the U.S. Army Air Forces, the Air Force was established on Sept. 18, 1947, with the signing of the National Security Act of 1947. In the nearly eight decades since, airmen have built a proud legacy of courage, innovation and excellence while answering the nation’s call in times of war and...

The Air Force said last week that its M18 service pistol is "safe, reliable, and functional" following a review of tens of thousands of the firearms. The findings came as part of the final review in a large-scale inspection of the gun ordered last year after an airman was killed by a bullet fired from a M18. Last July, Airman Brayden Lovan, 21, with the 90th Security Forces Group was shot and killed at F.E. Warren Air Base. The shooting was initially reported as an accidental discharge. Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees the United States' intercontinental ballistic missile...

The Department of War on Friday revoked former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall's eligibility for access to classified intel after he leaked classified information about Air Force One to the media. The Biden-era Air Force Secretary leaked sensitive information about President Trump's Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet to The New York Times. Full statement from Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell: Effective immediately, the Department of War has REVOKED former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s eligibility for access to classified information and his ability to hold any sensitive position. This action follows his unauthorized disclosure of classified information...

The U.S. Department of War has revoked former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s eligibility to access classified information over what the department says was an unauthorized disclosure involving Air Force One’s capabilities. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced the move Friday on X, saying it took effect immediately and also bars Kendall from holding any sensitive position. "Effective immediately, the Department of War has REVOKED former Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall’s eligibility for access to classified information and his ability to hold any sensitive position. This action follows his unauthorized disclosure of classified information regarding Air Force One’s capabilities...

The F-47 program has entered its engineering and manufacturing development phase with unprecedented maturity. The F-47 program has entered its engineering and manufacturing development phase with unprecedented maturity. Kalawin/USAF =========================================================================== The United States’ next-generation fighter aircraft program has reached a significant milestone. Boeing has begun manufacturing prototype aircraft for the F-47, the U.S. Air Force’s future sixth-generation stealth fighter. According to Air Force officials, the program remains on schedule, with the aircraft’s maiden flight expected in 2028. The progress marks the transition from years of design, research, and technology demonstrations to the construction of physical aircraft that will undergo rigorous...

Newly reported details are shedding light on the disappearance of retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, whose case has drawn national attention because of his military background and alleged connection to classified government programs involving unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAP. McCasland, 68, disappeared from his Albuquerque home on Feb. 27. His case quickly became the subject of online speculation because of his long military career, including work connected to highly sensitive defense programs. Some have suggested his disappearance could be linked to his knowledge of UAP-related information. But newly surfaced records reported by Los Angeles Magazine and highlighted...

Leaders of the Air National Guard argued that the Air Force's readiness was woefully inadequate... "The United States Air Force is the oldest, the smallest, and the least ready in its 78-year history," the letter, which was obtained by Air and Space Forces Magazine, read. To rectify the historic deficiency, military leaders are requesting between 72 and 100 new fighter jets across the Air Force's active duty, reserve and guard corps. Specifically, the adjutants generals — the leader of the National Guard in their respective state — are requesting at least 48 new F-35s and 24 new F-15EXs. The letter...

Traumatic brain injuries are quickly emerging as the signature wound of the U.S. war with Iran so far, echoing a pattern of post-9/11 wars... More than 200 U.S. troops have so far been wounded in the war, and at least 140 of those were TBI-related injuries... It’s a surge being driven by Iran’s reliance on one-way attack drones and the concussive blasts they deliver in strikes against American troops in countries across the Middle East, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Symptoms of TBI can be subtle at first but often linger for years, or even a lifetime, ranging...

When the first reports came on Friday of the downing of an American F-15 fighter jet over Iran with two pilots – the US military tasked the impossible mission of retrieving a pilot and navigator from behind enemy lines with the US Air Force Pararescue, commonly known as the “PJs.” The PJs serve as the Pentagon’s ultimate insurance policy. Operating under the motto “So That Others May Live,” these elite specialists are trained to go where no one else can, often under heavy fire and in the most inhospitable environments on earth. “It’s one of the elite and really not...

Ever since World War Two, America’s aircraft carrier fleets have served as imposing instruments of imperial power, roaming the oceans to cow recalcitrant nations into obedience. Favored by the Trump administration for this purpose, current experience indicates their day is done thanks to the proliferation of anti-ship missiles and the increasing ubiquity of drones. In America’s last Middle Eastern war but two, against the Yemeni Houthis in 2025, the carrier USS Harry S.Truman, complete with its attendant escorts, was driven into retreat, leaving antagonists in control of the Red Sea. On one occasion, the carrier’s desperate maneuver to avoid a...

Today, there are nearly 70,000 women serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. More than 10,000 are fighting directly on the frontlines. They are not there because of a quota. They are there because they wanted to serve, and serve they are… The drone revolution: where women excel The character of the fight has altered. No longer is strength the limiting factor. Now it’s precision, focus, and problem-solving. Women fly the latest FPV drones, command unmanned systems units, and conduct intelligence missions in Ukraine. The Khartiia Corps claims a 20 percent increase in female recruits for combat technology positions. Why? Because...

Amid the raging conflict in the Middle East, the astonishing events at Barksdale Air Force Base earlier this month have attracted only limited media attention. It is reported that swarms of unidentified drones repeatedly loitered over Barksdale between March 9 and 15, drawing no publicly known effective response from the military or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Barksdale is the headquarters of the Air Force’s Global Strike Command, which is responsible for the nation’s nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bomber forces, including B2, B1, and B52 aircraft. The base is home to the 2nd Bomb Wing B52s and...

Nearly two weeks after retired Air Force Gen. William McCasland disappeared from his home in the Albuquerque foothills, investigators have released a new photo they believe shows what he may have been wearing the day he vanished. Authorities say the 68-year-old was last seen on Feb. 27. The Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office believes McCasland left his house on the morning of Feb. 27. A repairman interacted with him around 10 a.m., and his wife left for a medical appointment at about 11:10 a.m. When she returned just after noon, he was gone. Items unaccounted for from his home include hiking...

Six American soldiers who lost their lives over western Iraq while supporting a mission are being remembered and honored by the U.S. Senate. The lawmakers passed a resolution recognizing their bravery, service, and ultimate sacrifice. The resolution, introduced by U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and co-sponsored by Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), passed unanimously. It honors Major Alex Klinner of Auburn, Alabama; Major Ariana G. Savino of Covington, Washington; Technical Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt of Bardstown, Kentucky; Captain Seth R. Koval of Mooresville, Indiana; Captain...

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) — A shooting at a U.S. Air Force base in New Mexico on Tuesday left one person dead and another wounded, according to military officials. The Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo, in southern New Mexico, was put on lockdown at about 5:30 p.m. because of reports of an active shooter near the base convenience store, according to a statement released by the 49th Wing. The person wounded has been taken for medical treatment, according to the statement. Security officials confirmed the base is safe and the lockdown was lifted. “Emergency personnel are responding to the situation...

Five U.S. Air Force refueling planes were damaged in an Iranian missile strike at Prince Sultan air base in Saudi Arabia. Although the planes sustained damage, they were not fully destroyed and are currently being repaired. No casualties were reported. The incident was reported by the Wall Street Journal.

March 13 (Reuters) - Five U.S. Air Force refueling planes ​were struck and ‌damaged on the ground at Prince Sultan ​air base in ​Saudi Arabia, the Wall ⁠Street Journal reported ​on Friday, citing two ​U.S. officials. The planes, which were hit during an ​Iranian missile strike ​on the Saudi base in ‌recent ⁠days, were damaged but not fully destroyed and are ​being repaired, ​the ⁠Journal said, adding that no ​one was killed ​in ⁠the strikes.

Locals: ‘First time we’ve seen anything like this since the attacks started’ Check this wild footage from Karaj moments ago !

(Snip) The Air Force’s preparations for war were fascinating. Because the number of aircraft and pilots is fixed and known, and because it was clear a race would develop between Iran’s launch capability and the Air Force’s ability to destroy launchers and missiles, the solution devised by the Air Force was to increase the number of waves. How? Fly to Iran and back three times a day. Every pilot. And how is that done? With stimulant pills. That was the trick they planned. And it worked. When every pilot does this three times a day instead of once or twice,...

A former U.S. Air Force officer and instructor pilot has been arrested and charged with unlawfully providing “defense services” to Chinese military pilots, specifically combat aircraft training.