• U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Paul Olexa, 509th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aerospace propulsion apprentice, pitches an idea called the Mag Rug during a Spark Tank competition, at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, Oct. 9, 2020. Whiteman Spark Tank is a competition where Airmen pitch their innovative ideas to a panel of wing and community leadership. Eleven ideas were pitched and the judges selected two to compete at the Air Force Global Strike Command’s Spark Tank competition. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Dylan Nuckolls)

    Whiteman Airman innovates, develops smart maintenance floor mat to prevent FOD

    Foreign object debris can come from a variety of sources and presents a major hazard to aircraft around the world, costing the aviation industry an estimated $4 billion in repairs each year.One Team Whiteman member took it upon himself to try to prevent these maintenance costs after learning about the risks of FOD and the importance of having good
  • U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Boyd Kempher, 442d Maintenance Group Aerospace and Jet Engine Propulsion mechanic works on the centrifugal multi-switch, an integral piece to the jet engine dryer on Kansas Speedway on 2 May 2021. With unavailable help and the spare multiple states away, Kempher and Russell, both Reserve Airmen, were hand-selected to troubleshoot the speedway’s dryers in case of inclement weather.

    Two A-10C Thunderbolt II jet engine mechanics assist NASCAR’s Kansas Speedway

    Weather in the Midwest is unpredictable and even the slightest accumulation of moisture on the track can pose a major risk to NASCAR drivers on race day. To combat unwanted moisture, the racetrack is cured with a dryer attached to the bed of a truck that blasts hot air via jet engines straight onto the track. With a slight chance of rain in the forecast for the highly anticipated Buschy McBush Race 400, a broken dryer, contracted repair team unavailable, and the closest spare multiple states away, the Kansas Speedway reached out to the 442d Fighter Wing for assistance.
  • A line up of the A-10s that operated during Operation Desert Storm.

    476th Fighter Group deputy commander recalls lessons learned as POW

    “I said goodbye to myself because I thought I was a dead man.”As a young first lieutenant, Lt. Col. Rob “Sweetness” Sweet, never thought he’d have to live a nightmare. But that’s just what happened when Sweet, now the deputy commander of the 476th Fighter Group at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, became a prisoner of war in 1991.On his 30th mission
  • Maj. Cameron Horn, 419th Flight Test commander, presents Gen. Timothy Ray, Air Force Global Strike Command commander, with a B-2 test program morale patch during his visit to Edwards Air Force Base, California, May 5. The B-2 fleets continued technological advancement enables expanded strike capabilities while ensuring the aircraft can keep pace with evolving threat levels. (Air Force photo by Giancarlo Casem)

    B-21 Flight Test aircraft build progresses while B-21 Combined Test Force takes shape

    Gen. Timothy Ray, the Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command and Air Forces Strategic-Air, U.S. Strategic Command, visited several organizations across the bomber test enterprise to receive first-hand updates on the progress of the B-21 program during a visit to Edwards Air Force Base and Plant 42, in California, May 5-6.
  • A T-38 Talon prepares for takeoff at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, April 28, 2021. The T-38 is used as a trainer aircraft for the B-2 Spirit. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Devan Halstead)

    Off into the wild blue yonder: OSS Airmen take to the air

    Less than 4% of active-duty U.S. Air Force members are pilots, however, it takes hard work and dedication from the other 96% to ensure the safety, readiness, and operability of a successful mission.Not everyone gets a chance to take to the air, even in the world’s greatest Air Force.In an effort to familiarize Airmen with the aircraft they support,
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