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Up Close with the Minuteman III ICBM: America’s Ultimate Deterrent
From Air Force Global Strike Command November 19 2024…
Join Unconventional host Naveed Jamali behind the scenes at F. E. Warren Air Force Base – the oldest active U.S. military installation and first operational ICBM base! For over 70 years, the United States Air Force has kept watch over intercontinental ballistic missiles 24/7/365, carrying out the nation’s longest-running mission.
They were able to meet the dedicated Striker Airmen of the 90th Missile Wing and embed with an ICBM team. Witness the balance between old and new as 1960s technology stands alongside the preparations for the next-generation LGM-35A Sentinel, blending history and innovation.
Explore the 9,000 square miles of this historic base, set against Wyoming’s rugged landscape, and see what life is like for those protecting America’s most powerful deterrent. Get an exclusive look at the resilience, readiness, and daily reality of these silent sentinels who maintain peace through strength.
*No DoD endorsement intended
Developing Future Airmen
| The National Defense Strategy highlights the pacing threats posed by our adversaries, underscoring the need to cultivate and maintain a capable, adaptable force. Recruiting, developing, and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce ensures the U.S. Air Force can project airpower anytime, anywhere. To remain at the forefront of air superiority, the Air Force is implementing transformative changes across its talent management framework. These efforts include optimizing human capital strategies, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and ensuring training is closely aligned with mission requirements. Additionally, the Force is modernizing personnel systems to better match Airmen to roles that maximize their potential, support retention, and create flexible career paths responsive to operational needs. | In this issue of Airman magazine, we explore how Air Force talent management serves as a cornerstone of force readiness and resilience. We visited Air University at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, and spoke with leaders about major changes underway, including the reintroduction of warrant officers, redesigned training programs to develop character-driven leaders, and a renewed focus on digital skills to make data a reliable weapon. Through these initiatives, the Air Force equips Airmen with the skills and adaptability needed to meet today’s demands and prepare for tomorrow’s challenges. Read this multimedia presentation at https://www.airmanmagazine.af.mil |
B-2 bomber undergoes key maintenance overhaul in record time
- Published Oct. 21, 2024
- By Brian Brackens
- Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Public Affairs
PALMDALE, Calif., –– In a big win for U.S. Air Force readiness, the “Spirit of Nebraska” a B-2 bomber, returned to operations 91 days ahead of schedule, after completing programmed depot maintenance (PDM) here on Oct. 15, 2024.
Previously, it has taken B-2s approximately 470 days to go through PDM. However, the “Spirit of Nebraska” was able to get through PDM in only 379 days due to several changes the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Bombers Directorate made to improve efficiency.
“Bringing these jets into PDM, getting the work done quickly, and delivering them back to the warfighter early is a big deal,” said Col. Francis Marino, B-2 System Program Manager within the Bombers Directorate. “This accomplishment would not have been possible without the great partnership between our team, Air Force Global Strike Command and Northrop Grumman.” – Read the full story at Air Force Test Center.
Guardsmen Still in Southeast for Hurricane Recovery
Oct. 15, 2024 | By David Roza – Air & Space Forces Magazine
Army National Guardsmen and Air National Guardsmen from as far as New York and Alaska deployed to the southeastern U.S. in recent days in response to Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
Milton made landfall Oct. 9, just two weeks after Helene, which made landfall on Sept. 26 and devastated western North Carolina. Soldiers with the Florida National Guard were surprised to find themselves helping with another state’s disaster relief.
“Florida typically receives the donor states to us, due to being the first impacted state,” Lt. Col. Brian Cooper, commander of the Florida Guard’s 1-111th General Support Aviation Battalion, said in an Oct. 13 press release. “This one was historic because of the size and nature of this hurricane, affecting numerous states at a great deal of speed. So, what we felt as an impact [in Florida] ultimately impacted those states as well.”
Florida troops traveled to North Carolina under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which lets National Guard units from different states help each other out. They hauled food and water, conducted search and rescue, and cleared roads of fallen trees and debris so that first responders could get through.
The Guardsmen from other states make a big difference when Guardsmen in the state being helped can’t mobilize because their own houses have been destroyed, the press release noted. But the Florida troops had to get back home fast to prepare for Milton as it rapidly grew stronger. – the full story on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Flyover for Buzz Lynch
Yesterday returning from the memorial flyover for Buzz Lynch, the P-51 Mustang “Bunny”, the P-51 Mustang “Man-O-War” and a T-28 Trojan. They were accompanied by two A-10 Thunderbolts from Davis-Mothan Airbase in Tucson Arizona.
George Patrick “Buzz” Lynch, Jr. passed away at age 89 on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Rancho Mirage, CA, with his wife, Maxine Lundt, by his side. Buzz had a remarkable career in the United States Air Force, where he logged approximately 6,000 flight hours and flew 34 different aircraft.
A West Point graduate, Buzz began his Air Force career in 1956, quickly excelling as a pilot. He flew F-100s with the 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron and later earned a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering before attending the prestigious Air Force Test Pilot School. Buzz completed a combat tour in Vietnam, where he served as a Flight Commander flying F-4 Phantoms. He later led test missions for the F-4 and YA-10, including the first USAF flight of the YA-10, playing a key role in the aircraft’s development. His leadership continued at the Air War College, where he graduated as a Distinguished Graduate, and he capped off his career with significant roles in systems testing at Nellis AFB and Wright-Patterson AFB. His awards included the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.
In recognition of his contributions, two A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft performed a memorial flyover today in Palm Springs, California, flying in formation to honor his decades of service and dedication to aviation. September 28, 2024
A-10 Flight For Buzz Lynch
Wright Brothers First Flight 1903
On this date December 17, 1903 the Wright Brothers made the first flight of a powered aircraft, the Wright Flyer near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Read the full story along with some great photographs in Airways Magazine here.
That Was Big!
The Convair XC-99, a transport version of the Convair B-36 bomber, made its first flight in November 1947. Designed to carry 400 troops, 335 litter patients, or 100,000 pounds of cargo, the double-decked XC-99 was powered by six 3,500 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-41 pusher-type engines turning 19-foot reversible-pitch propellers. With a wingspan of 230 feet and a length of 185 feet, the XC-99 had a design gross weight of 320,000 pounds. USAF Image. – MilitaryPhotoDepot