Air Force

Is there any organization outside of Hollywood more prey to intellectual fads than the Department of Defense? A decade ago the buzzword around the Pentagon was "transformation. " Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld wanted to force radical change to take advantage of information technology. So the individual services took to justifying every program, even hulking tanks and massive aircraft carriers, as "transformational. " Then, as the armed forces became more deeply embroiled in Iraq and Afghanistan, the buzzword became counterinsurgency, or "COIN.

WASHINGTON — Six Air Force basic training instructors face criminal charges and six others are under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct with female recruits in a widening scandal at the service's training command at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. Gen. Edward D. Rice Jr., commander of the Air Education and Training Command, told a Pentagon news conference that 31 victims had been identified so far. All were undergoing or had recently completed basic training when they were purportedly preyed upon by male instructors, he said.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Even as ribbons of smoke from Colorado's raging wildfires rose in the foothills around them, 1,045 fresh cadets arrived Thursday at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs to begin their basic training. When the Waldo Canyon fire exploded Tuesday night, flames jumped perimeters and charred about 10 acres of the storied installation. More than 2,100 families were quickly evacuated from residential areas of the academy and, as of Thursday, still had not been allowed to return.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Marking the worst fire season in Colorado history, three major blazes are burning uncontrolled in the Rocky Mountain state, destroying hundreds of homes, prompting mass evacuations in Colorado Springs and threatening the city of Boulder 100 miles away. For weeks, Colorado has been in a state of siege as the mammoth High Park fire raged unhindered in mountain wilderness west of Fort Collins, destroying 257 rural homesteads and cabins, while residents of cities and suburbs to the east held their collective breath and prayed that the flames would not reach them.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - President Obama pushed back against the idea of U.S. influence being in decline - and against Republican criticism of his stewardship - telling the Air Force Academy's graduating class that around the world "there's a new confidence in our leadership. " Republican critiques hold otherwise, suggesting that Obama has "led from behind" in international efforts, cut the military and responded weakly to the rise of contending powers. But as he set off Wednesday on a two-day western tour, Obama used the commencement address to make a forceful argument for a policy that downplays unilateral American action in favor of partnerships with other countries, one that maintains "military superiority" even as it welcomes "the rise of peaceful, responsible emerging powers.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- President Obama proclaimed the U.S. “exceptional” in the world as he paid tribute Wednesday to what he called the “finest, most capable military the world has ever known.” Speaking to graduates at the U.S. Air Force Academy here, Obama heralded the dawn of “another great American century” that he predicted will see recovery from tough economic times, new nation-building at home and an important role in...

President Obama plans to speak at a U.S. military service academy Wednesday, a forum he has used throughout his administration to chart an evolution in military strategy and the gradual process of withdrawal from Afghanistan. The president is scheduled to speak at the graduation of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, days after he and the other leaders of the NATO alliance shook hands on a plan for withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2014. The speech marks the president's fourth commencement at a service academy.

In response to growing concern about problems with its F-22 Raptor fighter jet, the Air Force revealed it has slapped on new safety restrictions to protect its pilots. The announcement came as Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) Friday requested additional information from the secretary of the Air Force to further determine the scope of safety concerns raised by several pilots of the world's most expensive fighter jet, designed and built byLockheed Martin Corp.

Some of the nation's top aviators are refusing to fly the radar-evading F-22 Raptor, a fighter jet with ongoing problems with the oxygen systems that have plagued the fleet for four years. At the risk of significant reprimand - or even discharge from the Air Force - fighter pilots are turning down the opportunity to climb into the cockpit of the F-22, the world's most expensive fighter jet. The Air Force did not reveal how many of its 200 F-22 pilots, who are stationed at seven military bases across the country, declined their assignment orders.

The Air Force will modify the handle that engages the emergency oxygen system in its entire fleet of F-22 Raptor fighter jets after a report found that it played a role in a crash that killed one of its top aviators. The changes come as Anna Haney, the pilot's widow, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit againstLockheed Martin Corp.and subcontractors that designed and built the nation's most expensive fighter jet. Capt. Jeff Haney, 31, died when his F-22 crashed in the Alaskan wilderness in November 2010.