TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — For many people, Independence Day is all about celebration, spending time with family and watching fireworks light up the night sky. But for Air Force Staff Sgt. Richard L. Johnson, July 4, 2014, was not a day for celebrating. On that day, just two months after his daughter, Ayda,…

WASHINGTON — Service members who take part in art therapy to soothe the symptoms of war’s invisible wounds display acts of courage and resilience to put them in control of their lives, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs said today. Speaking at the 2015 Wounded Warrior Healing Arts Recognition “Show of Strength” event at…

WASHINGTON – A Defense Department working group will study the policy and readiness implications of welcoming transgender persons to serve openly in the military, and its work will presume they can do so unless objective and practical impediments are identified, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced today. In a statement announcing the working group, Carter said…

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) — People like routines, schedules and structure, especially in the military. Change can sometimes be unwelcome and overwhelming, particularly if it’s a sudden, drastic change due to an illness. For Tech. Sgt. Thomas Echelmeyer, of the 21st Aerospace Medicine Squadron, that’s exactly what happened. His son, Tom Tom, was…

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. — An F-16CM Fighting Falcon shoots into the air, flying at a speed of 400 knots as it is pulled through various maneuvers to demonstrate its capabilities. Maneuvering the aircraft through inversions, undergoing eight to nine times the force of gravity, and pushing the F-16 to its limits is Capt. Craig “Rocket”…

SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) — Many children dream of taking a trip to Disneyland, and in 2001, 1st Lt. Fanita Schmidt’s family set off to make it a reality. But the family’s dream suddenly turned into a nightmare when Arizona winds blew their minivan off the road, causing the vehicle to roll down…

WASHINGTON (AFNS) — Whether standing at the Air Force memorial or silently observing the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetery, a program gives military veterans the chance to see monuments and landmarks in the Washington metropolitan area. The Honor Flight Network flies veterans here to visit memorials that honor their service to the…

(U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Chris Massey) U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Lutgardo Baltazar, 612th Air & Space Operations Center, plays a ukulele and sings with Tech. Sgt. Mariefaye McGuire, 355th Medical Support Squadron, while they emcee the Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month luau at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, May…

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz., — Since the beginning of 2015, 1,252 personnel and 596 short tons of cargo have been deployed out of D-M. “This was the biggest cargo movement ever on this base, and the biggest personnel movement since WWII,” said Staff Sgt. Sammie Ervan, 355th Logistics Readiness Squadron quality assurance logistics plans. D-M has…