News

F-22 Raptor Marks 20 Years of Operational Service
May 14, 2025 — The F-22 Raptor hit a milestone of operational service at Langley Air Force Base on May 12, 2025. It has been two decades since the arrival of the Air Force’s first combat-ready, fifth-generation aircraft to the 1st Fighter Wing on May 12, 2005. The first operational F-22 Raptor delivery to the 1st Fighter Wing on this day signaled the beginning of a new phase in the U.S. Air Force’s combat capability. Then-Lt. Col. James Hecker, commander of the 27th Fighter Squadron at the time, flew the first operational aircraft designated as ‘AF042’ from the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Georgia, to Langley AFB. “Timing is everything. I wasn’t supposed to be the first F-22 operational commander. It was going to be a guy by the name of Lt. Col. Scott ‘Papa’ Maw, but then the airplane delivery date slipped a little to the right, another squadron became available with the F-15 Eagle, so he took that command,” recounted Gen. James Hecker, who ultimately went on to serve as the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa. ... MORE

OVER VIRGINIA -- Lt. Col. James Hecker flies over Fort Monroe before delivering the first operational F-22A Raptor to its permanent home at Langley Air Force Base, Va., on May 12. This is the first of 26 Raptors to be delivered to the 27th Fighter Squadron. The Raptor program is managed by the F-22A System Program Office at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Colonel Hecker is the squadron's commander. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ben Bloker)

Miles of Honor: Run for the Fallen
May 8, 2025 — Every year, a group of runners from Virginia journey over four days to complete the Run for the Fallen, a 250-mile run in honor of fallen service members. The run starts at Fort Story, Virginia, and finishes at Arlington National Cemetery, an area where many post-9/11 service members are laid to rest. Along the way, runners stop every mile for 90 seconds at “Hero Markers” to honor a fallen service member by name and present a flag to the family... MORE

Airman and civilian pose for a photo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Skylar Ellis)

All Hands-on Deck: Airmen Ramp Up Ops for Air Power Over Hampton Roads
April 23, 2025 — With the Air Power Over Hampton Roads Airshow approaching, preparations at Joint Base Langley-Eustis are in full swing. The 633d Security Forces Squadron Airmen are at the forefront, gearing up to help manage an estimated 100,000 visitors over the course of the April 26-27, weekend event. ... MORE

Emergency Management Modernizes C2, Improves Readiness
April 11, 2025 — JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. — The quarterly emergency management (EM) reporting process was recently modernized by the 633d Civil Engineering Squadron EM team on at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Feb. 7, 2025. The EM team implemented a new evolution of the Command-and-Control Incident Management Emergency Response Application web application (C2IMERA) that they can now utilize to track accountability metrics for the training statuses of emergency response members, crash-grid maps, building numbers, shelter-in-place program data, and personnel information. ... MORE

Man stands in front of a room of people surrounded by high tech screens. He is speaking to the people in the room.

Embracing the Equinox, Optimizing Readiness
March 19, 2025 — As the world transitions from the cold grasp of winter to the embrace of spring, the effects of the spring equinox resonate deeply within and upon the human psyche of one master resiliency instructor. U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Lucia MacPherson, an MRT and suicide prevention advocate has learned to recognize and comprehensively respond to these seasonal changes that can positively impact the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of service members and their families. "In order to take care of our people and to optimize our mission readiness, we have to get back to the basics of understanding human nature," MacPherson emphasizes. “This awareness is a strategic imperative that can facilitate and further improve the efficacy of practices and procedures within the U.S. military.” ... MORE

A female Airman admires a yellow flower and holds it in her hand.

Norwegian Foot March, Builds Ready Minds and Bodies
March 14, 2025 — The “Norwegian Foot March” took place at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Virginia, Mar. 7, 2025. During the NFM service members performed an 18.6-mile trek while carrying a 25-pound rucksack; participants qualifying times varied based on age and sex. U.S. service members, and a Norwegian military representative gathered for a pre-brief before the... MORE

An Airman with a Go-Pro Camera on the brim of his hat bends over to write on a piece of paper his name and record his ruck sack weight prior to the start of the Norwegian Foot March.

Horses: From Historical Battlefields to Healing Invisible Wounds
December 13, 2024 — Service members living on many Air Force Bases often ask, ‘Why are there horse stables on an Air Force Base?” Formerly, as vice president of the Beale Air Force Base Horse Club, I was often asked this, and I responded to this question with a mixture of disbelief and shock. However, as years have passed, I’ve had more time to reflect on and articulate a better response... MORE

A child scratches the chin of a horse in a pasture. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt Dana Tourtellotte)

ACC command team meets JBLE Airmen leading the Great Power Competition charge
June 14, 2024 — Gen. Ken Wilsbach, commander of Air Combat Command, and Chief Master Sgt. David Wolfe, ACC command chief, visited the 633d Air Base Wing and 1st Fighter Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, June 11, 2024. Wilsbach and Wolfe were accompanied by their spouses, Cindy Wilsbach and Dr. Doniel Wolfe... MORE

Gen. Ken Wilsbach walks down the aisle in the base theater.

Strengthening Ties: Fifteenth AF Command tour at JBLE
June 6, 2024 — U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. David Lyons, Fifteenth Air Force commander, receives a tour at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, June 4, 2024. Lyons visited various units, discussing the integration of the Fifteenth Air Force's lines of effort—people, mission, and culture—during his visit to ensure alignment with operations at JBLE. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Mikaela Smith)... MORE

An Air Force General shakes hands with a young Airman

Explosive Collaboration: EOD and NASA partner in Drone Exercise
May 6, 2024 — U.S. Air Force explosive ordnance disposal technicians with the 633d Civil Engineer Squadron, participate in a downed drone during an exercise at NASA Langley Research Center, Virginia, April 25, 2024. Throughout the exercise, the three EOD teams successfully managed to dismantle and eliminate six drones, demonstrating their ability to navigate modernized and challenging environments. (U.S. Air Force video by Senior Airman Mikaela Smith)... MORE

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