2021 AFA Almanac

‘Did We Do Enough?’ Airmen Heed Lessons from Their Air Victory over Iran

Nov. 19, 2024

In the third and final part of our series about how the U.S. Air Force helped defeat Iran’s April 13 attack on Israel, Airmen describe the final drone shootdowns of the night and the lessons they have drawn from one of the Air Force’s biggest nights of combat action in…

How USAF Fighters Kept Going Amid Chaos to Defend Israel

Nov. 18, 2024

In Part 2 of our series about how Airmen helped defeat Iran’s April 13 attack on Israel, troops from the 494th Fighter Squadron describe how they kept launching jets even as their own base came under fire.

Silver Star Airpower: Inside an F-15 Mission to Block an Attack on Israel

Nov. 15, 2024

In a series of exclusive interviews with Air & Space Forces Magazine, Airmen from the 494th Fighter Squadron described how they helped defeat the massive drone and missile attack launched by Iran against Israel in April—actions that led to many being decorated Nov. 12.

Maj. Gen. Joe Engle, X-15 Pilot and Shuttle Astronaut, Dies at 91

July 11, 2024

Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Joe Henry Engle, test pilot, Apollo-era astronaut, and the only American to fly two different winged vehicles into space, died July 10 at the age of 91. Engle flew more than 185 different aircraft—38 of them fighter/attack types—and amassed more than 15,000 flight hours, including…

Airman Earned an Air Force Cross. His Name Remains Secret.

June 4, 2024

An Air Force combat controller earned the Air Force Cross—the service’s second-highest decoration for valor in combat behind only the Medal of Honor—for his actions during a fierce battle in Syria in 2018. His identity, however, remains publicly unknown.

Distinguished Flying Crosses Awarded for 2 in 2010 Fatal Crash

May 20, 2024

Two air commandos who helped save more than a dozen lives in an CV-22 Osprey crash in Afghanistan 14 years ago were posthumously awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses last week, Air Force Special Operations Command announced.

AFA Appoints Retired Lt. Gen. Burt Field as New CEO

March 22, 2024

Retired Lt. Gen. Burt Field has been appointed President & Chief Executive Officer of the Air & Space Forces Association. A 1979 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Field was an F-16 pilot and Weapons School graduate—and former Commandant—who served 35 years in uniform.

‘The Guardian Spirit’: Montana’s Only Space Force Unit Wins Polaris Award

Feb. 9, 2024

The 22nd Space Operations Squadron, Detachment 1 at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., is the winner of the Polaris Award for Team Excellence for embodying all four core Guardian Values in 2023.

F-16 Pilot Earns Trophy for Saving Jet With Smooth Belly Landing

Feb. 8, 2024

An F-16 fighter pilot was recognized on Feb. 7 for saving his aircraft from a near-disastrous mishap two years ago.

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