- Arctic Challenge According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the Arctic sea ice extent has declined by 40% since 1979. The loss is transforming Alaska’s climate while also accelerating coastal erosion. “In a diminishing ice environment in the Arctic region, we’re seeing there’s more opportunity for industry, more opportunity for resource extraction, if done in a […]
- Engaging the Arctic In 1935, Billy Mitchell, former U.S. Army brigadier general and airpower advocate, testified before Congress that Alaska was the most strategic place in the world. From there, he said, U.S. Army aircraft could reach any capital in the northern hemisphere within nine hours. Much of that flight time was over unoccupied polar ice, as only the […]
- Based in Trust Growing trust between the local community and U.S. service members, and fostering good relationships with the government in the area surrounding a new base increases the chance of local support for Airmen deployed there in an effort to bring stability to the region. The U.S. Army’s 411th Civil Affairs Battalion are experts in nurturing relationships […]
- Guarding the Nation’s Skies Following the events of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Department of Defense identified flaws in its security procedures within the airspace surrounding the National Capital Region. In response, Operation Noble Eagle was created to protect the skies of North America. An important training element of Noble Eagle, Fertile Keynote exercises utilize the Air Force’s civilian […]
- Building A Power Base John W. Henderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy, is responsible for the formulation, review and execution of plans, policies, programs and budgets to meet Air Force installations, energy, environment, safety and occupational health objectives. Henderson was commissioned in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in May 1994, upon graduation […]
- Looking Down Range There is no set-in-stone future for Air Force ranges, but some pilots, range managers and planners have a vision for the way ahead. One potential future for Air Force ranges combines the capabilities of live, virtual and constructive elements to seamlessly create an immersive training experience. Live aircraft will fly in actual airspace boundaries while […]
- The New Deterrent Military doctrine identifies five domains of warfare—land, sea, air, space and information. While borders and barriers define the four natural domains, the fifth dimension, with the advancements of artificial intelligence, is rapidly expanding with the potential to destabilize free and open international order. Nations like China and Russia are making significant investments in AI for […]
- Civil Air Patrol Podcast At Altitude podcast of interview with Maj. Gen. Mark E. Smith, the Civil Air Patrol’s 24th national commander. Smith leads CAP’s more than 60,000 members across the United States in fulfilling the U.S. Air Force auxiliary’s Congressionally chartered missions of emergency services, cadet programs and aerospace education, in addition to the organization’s steadily increasing role […]
- Stewards of the Land Within the confines of U.S. Air Force ranges there are things that exist nowhere else in the world. Vast expanses of natural habitat containing unique plants and animals, archaeological sites and artifacts of Paleolithic Native Americans and cultures past, are contained in these, sometimes misunderstood, restricted spaces. In fact, U.S. Air Force ranges support conservation […]
- SecAF Heather Wilson Tech. Sgt. Alyssa C. Gibson Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Heather Wilson swore in as the 24th Secretary of the Air Force in May 2017 with a clear-eyed view on the task at hand. “When Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis asked me to serve as the Secretary of the Air Force I said, […]
