Unshin Lee Harpley
Unshin Lee Harpley is a reporter at the Air and Space Forces Magazine. Previously, Unshin was a multimedia journalist at Voice of America where she covered local and national stories, including the 2020 Presidential Election. She hosted a weekly program promoting the English language and American culture, targeted at South Korean viewers and North Korean senior officials.
Prior to Voice of America, Unshin was in Seoul at Arirang TV and TBS eFM for three years where she reported on some of the region’s major political, social, and cultural events.
Unshin graduated from Iowa State University where she studied journalism at the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication. Her grandfather, who named her, was a lieutenant colonel served in the Korean War, and she spent half of her life in the States and the other half in South Korea. With her unique background, she has always been eager to explore the dynamics at play within the U.S. military and its profound impact on both domestic and global polices.
She is also passionate about establishing connections within the DMV community and advocating for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voices. Unshin can be reached at uharpley@afa.org
Recent stories by Unshin Lee Harpley
Trump’s Picks for Joint Chiefs Chairman and Air Force Secretary Near Confirmation
President Trump’s picks for the nation’s top uniformed role and the Air Force’s highest-ranking civilian post have been approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee. Along with three other senior defense nominees also selected by Trump, the appointments were “immediately reported” to the Senate floor ...
With F-15C Gone, Kadena Gets Fresh Rotation of F-15E and F-35 Fighters
F-35A and F-15E fighter jets touched down at Kadena Air Base in recent days, marking the latest rotation of fighters as the Okinawa base awaits its new permanent F-15EX fleet.
Ukraine Flying Its F-16s ‘Every Day’ Against Russia, with More Coming: EUCOM Boss
Army Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command, told lawmakers that F-16s fly every day in Ukraine, conducting bombing attacks and countering cruise missiles from Russia. The F-16s currently operating in Ukraine are “mainly from Netherlands and Denmark,” but more F-16s "prepared to ...
USAF F-35 Squadrons at Lakenheath Near Full Readiness
The U.S. Air Force is poised to fill out its full complement of F-35 fighters and reach full operational capability with two squadrons at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom this year, according to the head of the U.S. European Command.
NORTHCOM Wants to Buy New Tech to Down Drones Within ’24 Hours’ of Sighting
Amid an uptick in drone activity nationwide, the commander responsible for safeguarding North American airspace said U.S. Northern Command is acquiring new technology to swiftly deploy to bases around the country to counter these threats.
Air Force’s Last Active-Duty F-15C Made Its Final Flight at Kadena
The Air Force’s last Active-Duty F-15C made its final flight earlier this year, as Kadena Air Base in Japan continues its long goodbye to the iconic fighter after more than 45 years of operations. The Eagle’s last sortie at Kadena took place Jan. 24, the ...
More A-10s Deploy to Middle East, This Time from Idaho
Multiple A-10 attack aircraft from the Idaho Air National Guard deployed to the Middle East over the weekend. More than 300 Airmen from the 124th Fighter Wing, along with the attack aircraft, were sent to southwest Asia within U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility on ...
As Maryland ANG A-10 Departs for Boneyard, Its Future Flying Mission Is in Doubt
The first A-10 "Warthog" departed Warfield Air National Guard Base, Md., last week, the first step in a process that could leave Maryland Air Guard the only one among the 50 states without a flying mission. Negotiations to acquire a follow-on flying mission have stalled.
B-2 Bombers Arrive on Diego Garcia in Unusual Show of Force
B-2 Spirit bombers have landed on Diego Garcia, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean that serves as a strategic hub for operations everywhere from the Middle East to Africa to the Indo-Pacific, a spokesperson for Air Force Global Strike Command confirmed to Air & ...
‘Time is Now’ to Look at New Airlifter: TRANSCOM Boss
The head of the U.S. Transportation doesn’t want to wait to start planning on a new airlifter to replace both the C-5 and C-17 fleets, which serve as the command's "workhorses."
Space Force Will Add 100-Plus Satellites in 2025 to Boost Resilient Networks
Maj. Gen. Gregory Gagnon, Deputy Chief of Space Operations for Intelligence highlights the importance of cyber and electromagnetic spectrum superiority in modern warfare at an CSIS event on March. 20. The spectrum is crucial to conducting long-range attacks and securing the narrative and information flow.
F-35s, Air Task Force Deploy to Korea for ACE Exercise
The U.S. Air Force is testing some of major capabilities and concepts—F-35s, Air Task Forces, and Agile Combat Employment—in South Korea this month for the latest iteration of Freedom Shield exercise.
F-22 Pilot Swaps in for Guardian at International Space Station
An F-22 pilot with more than 200 combat hours in the Middle East is trading places on the International Space Station with the first Space Force Guardian to ever launch into orbit. Air Force Maj. Nichole Ayers safely arrived at the ISS early March 16, ...
USAF, Japan Look to Share Maintenance on Common Aircraft Closer to the Fight
The U.S. Air Force is working on a test program with Japan to establish a joint maintenance center that will perform repairs on aircraft operated by both nations—creating a “deterrent effect that will make adversaries think twice,” a top general said.
LC-130 ‘Skibird’ Lands on Freshwater Ice as Air Force Prepares for More Arctic Operations
The Air Force's LC-130 Hercules touched down on freshwater ice for the first time in decades, signaling the service’s leap in flexibility for "defensive or offensive operations" in the Arctic. The New York Air National Guard landed the C-130 variant "Skibird" aircraft on frozen Parsons ...