AIR FORCE

With enlistment dropping, the military is turning to video games to make an impact with young recruits.

Space Force National Guard FILE - A Air Force specialist salutes in a U.S. Space Force uniform during a ceremony for U.S. Air Force airmen transitioning to U.S. Space Force guardian designations Feb. 12, 2021, at Travis Air Force Base, Calif. About 1,000 Air National Guard troops who are assigned to space missions are mired in an identity crisis. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File) (Noah Berger)WASHINGTON — (AP) — About 1,000 Air National Guard troops who are assigned to space missions are mired in an identity crisis. They say a Space Guard will be needed in only seven states and Guam, where the Air Guard members who support space missions already reside. Hitchner was referring to the decision to shift active-duty Air Force troops doing space missions into the new Space Force. “We need to be aligned with people that understand the space mission, have responsibility for the space mission, and have all the authorities and alignment in the space mission,” said Senior Master Sgt.

About 1,000 Air National Guard troops who are assigned to space missions are mired in an identity crisis.

The Idaho State Police have opened an investigation.

In the last 24 hours, Ukrainian war planes delivered a series of strikes against Russian troops and armored vehicles near Izyum, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine’s Air Force said in a Telegram post on June 25.

WASHINGTON — (AP) — An Air Force airman has been taken into custody in connection with an April explosion that injured several U.S. troops at a base in eastern Syria. Rose Riley, an Air Force spokeswoman, said the airman was placed in pretrial confinement by his commander after a review of the investigation. The blasts hit two support buildings and four service members were evaluated for minor injuries and possible traumatic brain injuries. The investigation is being done by the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. The U.S. has several hundred troops in eastern Syria as part of its effort to counter the Islamic State group.

Russia bans dozens of journalists and defence figures in response to UK sanctions imposed on Russians.

The Air Force has concluded that air crew members acted appropriately and were not at fault for some tragic deaths during the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan last year.

Air Force Afghanistan FILE - Taliban fighters stand guard in front of the Hamid Karzai International Airport after the U.S. withdrawal in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 31, 2021. The Air Force has concluded that air crew members acted appropriately and were not at fault for some tragic deaths during the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan last year, when desperate Afghans clung to a military plane as it was taking off and fell to their deaths or were caught in the wheels. (AP Photo/Khwaja Tawfiq Sediqi, File) (Khwaja Tawfiq Sediqi)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Air Force has concluded that air crew members acted appropriately and were not at fault for some tragic deaths during the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan last year, when desperate Afghans clung to a military plane as it was taking off and fell to their deaths or were caught in the wheels. In a statement Monday, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said investigations into the deaths found that the crew “exercised sound judgment in their decision to get airborne as quickly as possible when faced with an unprecedented and rapidly deteriorating security situation." Human remains were found in the wheel well when the plane landed at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

Air Force Afghanistan FILE - Taliban fighters stand guard in front of the Hamid Karzai International Airport after the U.S. withdrawal in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 31, 2021. The Air Force has concluded that air crew members acted appropriately and were not at fault for some tragic deaths during the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan last year, when desperate Afghans clung to a military plane as it was taking off and fell to their deaths or were caught in the wheels. (AP Photo/Khwaja Tawfiq Sediqi, File) (Khwaja Tawfiq Sediqi)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Air Force has concluded that air crew members acted appropriately and were not at fault for some tragic deaths during the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan last year, when desperate Afghans clung to a military plane as it was taking off and fell to their deaths or were caught in the wheels. In a statement Monday, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said investigations into the deaths found that the crew “exercised sound judgment in their decision to get airborne as quickly as possible when faced with an unprecedented and rapidly deteriorating security situation." Human remains were found in the wheel well when the plane landed at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

The Air Force has concluded that air crew members acted appropriately and were not at fault for some tragic deaths during the chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan last year, when desperate Afghans clung to a military plane as it was taking off and fell to their deaths or were caught in the wheels.

The Carpathian Sich is a volunteer battalion that has been fighting in Ukraine since late February. About half the members come from other countries, and there are about 700 volunteers spread across the country. The battalion is not a part of the Ukrainian military, but most volunteers say they have at least some military experience.

President Joe Biden's administration has scrapped former President Donald Trump's red, white and blue design for the new generation of presidential aircraft after an Air Force review suggested it would raise costs and delay the delivery of the new jets. Boeing is currently modifying two Boeing 747-800 aircraft that will bear the Air Force One callsign when the president is onboard to replace the existing fleet of two aging Boeing 747-200 aircraft. Trump, in 2018, directed that the new jumbo jets shed the iconic Kennedy-era robin’s egg blue and white design for a deeper navy and streak of dark red.

The military is embracing video gaming culture, but faces internal challenges and outside criticism.

Abbott says it's restarted production at the Michigan factory that's tied to the ongoing baby formula shortage.

VALENTYNA ROMANENKO - SUNDAY, 29 MAY 2022, 23:27 On 29 May, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed five UAVs, two cruise missiles, a company-tactical group and an ammunition depot belonging to the invaders.

VALENTYNA ROMANENKO - FRIDAY, 27 MAY 2022, 23:20 During the 24 hours of 27 May, the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed three Russian air targets and a company-tactical group of the Russian army. Source: Yurii Ihnat, Spokesman of Air Force Command Details: According to the results of the day, the following were hit: Su-35 jet Ka-52 helicopter Orlan-10 UAV a company-tactical group.

Andretti Autosport's Colton Herta discusses his crash on Carb Day.

An Air Force spokeswoman said that the service is changing its policy on formation landings as a result of the incident and investigation.

U.S. Air Force Academy graduation ceremony COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - MAY 26: United States Air Force Academy graduates cheer as the United States Air Force Thunderbirds fly over the graduation for the Class of 2021 at Falcon Stadium on May 26, 2021 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images /Getty Images)Three U.S. Air Force Academy cadets who refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine will graduate the school this week, but will not be commissioned as U.S. military officers, according to the Air Force. In addition, the three may be required to reimburse the U.S. government for their education, Miller said. That decision will be made by the secretary of the Air Force. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is the scheduled speaker at Wednesday’s Air Force Academy graduation.

A military plane carrying enough specialty infant formula for more than half a million baby bottles arrived Sunday in Indianapolis, the first of several flights expected from Europe aimed at relieving a nationwide formula shortage. (May 23)

Super seniors: Four men who missed their graduations in 1956 to join the Air Force were honored Saturday as they were included in their high school alma mater's 2022 ceremony. — An Arkansas high school added four special graduates to its Class of 2022 ceremony. >> Read more trending newsFour men who joined the Air Force and missed their graduation ceremony in 1956 joined Springdale High School’s 484 graduating seniors on Saturday, KHBS-TV reported. Four seniors from the 1956 Springdale High School Class missed their graduation to enter the armed forces. “I don’t want people telling me what to do and I’m like ‘OK, I joined the Air Force,’” Self told KFSM.

The three cadets will get degrees but "will not be commissioned into the United States Air Force as long as they remain unvaccinated," an Academy spokesperson said.

Three cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy who have refused the COVID-19 vaccine will not be commissioned as military officers but will graduate with bachelor's degrees, the academy said Saturday. Academy spokesman Dean Miller said that a fourth cadet who had refused the vaccine until about a week ago, decided to be vaccinated and will graduate and become an Air Force officer. In a statement, Miller said that while the three will get a degree "they will not be commissioned into the United States Air Force as long as they remain unvaccinated."

Fred Miller purchased a property to host family gatherings, only to learn it was once a planation where his ancestors were enslaved.

The photographer’s work provides a stark illustration of the hold that celebrity has on our culture.

More than 200 Vermont air guard personnel, their equipment and eight F-35s are now in Europe, where the pilots will fly what are called enhanced air policing missions along NATO’s eastern flank to monitor the area for intrusions by Russian aircraft. The deployment marks the first time the Vermont Air National Guard, the first guard unit in the country to fly the F-35s, has deployed overseas with the Air Force’s newest airplane.

Some of that training is already underway at a temporary facility, but state officials want the permanent home for the Space Training Readiness Command (STARCOM) to be located on Florida’s space coast. Read: Space Florida works to bring U.S. Space Force training operations to Florida“Patrick SFB and Cape Canaveral SFS hold a unique place in America’s history of space flight and exploration,” the lawmakers wrote. On April 4, the Department of the Air Force selected six possible locations for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Training and Readiness Command Headquarters. Read: Brevard County high school JROTC program converts from Air Force to Space ForceThe six bases currently under consideration are Buckley, Peterson and Schriever Space Force bases in Colorado; Los Angeles Air Force Base and Vandenberg SFB in California; and Patrick SFB in Florida. The Department of the Air Force said it will begin site surveys in late April or early May of 2022.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said the Air Force One deal was “a very unique moment, a very unique negotiation, a very unique set of risks that Boeing probably shouldn’t have taken. But we are where we are."

Maj. Gen. William T. Cooley was found guilty of abusive sexual contact for forcibly kissing his sister-in-law after a 2018 event. He faces dismissal from the military and up to seven years in prison.

Air Force General-Court-Martial U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. William T. Cooley, Air Force Research Laboratory commander, delivers remarks during a press conference inside the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, on April 18, 2019. Cooley, has been convicted, Saturday, April 23, 2022, by a military judge of one of three specifications of abusive sexual contact in the first-ever military trial of an Air Force general. Air Force via AP) (Wesley Farnsworth)WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio — (AP) — An Air Force major general in Ohio has been convicted by a military judge of one of three specifications of abusive sexual contact in the first-ever military trial of an Air Force general. "Today marks the first time an Air Force general officer has been held responsible for his heinous actions," the woman's attorney Ryan Guilds, said in a statement, the Dayton Daily News reported. “This case clearly demonstrates the commitment of Air Force leaders to fully investigate the facts and hold Airmen of any rank accountable for their actions when they fail to uphold Air Force standards,” Col. Eric Mejia, staff judge advocate for Air Force Materiel Command, said in a statement.

"Today marks the first time an Air Force general officer has been held responsible for his heinous actions," the woman's attorney said.

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AP) — An Air Force major general in Ohio has been convicted by a military judge of one of three specifications of abusive sexual contact in the first-ever military trial of an Air Force general. The charge faced by Maj. Gen. William Cooley during the weeklong court-martial at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio had three specifications, one alleging a forcible kiss and two alleging forcible touching in 2018. Cooley was convicted Saturday of the forcible kissing specification but acquitted of the other two.

Honduras' Supreme Court approved the extradition of Hernandez to the United States to face drug trafficking and weapons charges. (AP Photo/Elmer Martinez) (Elmer Martinez)NEW YORK — (AP) — Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández was expected to make a virtual appearance in federal court in New York on Friday to face drug trafficking and weapons charges after he was arrested in Honduras and extradited overnight to the United States. Hernández boarded an airplane in Honduras with agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration on Thursday, just three months after leaving office. Honduras’ Supreme Court rejected his appeal of a judge’s decision favoring extradition. His court appearance Friday in New York was expected to be virtual because of COVID-19 protocols, authorities said.

Garilynn Smith won a complaint against the Pentagon after the Army denied her a promotion as she publicly protested the desecration of her husband's partial remains in a Virginia landfill, a federal labor and management panel declared last week.

Most of the hefty bonuses will require a six-year contract and are for jobs with a lot of training or that are some of the most dangerous roles in the Air Force.

Under the latest Air Force budget proposal, nearly two dozen of the Indiana Air National Guard's A-10s would be retired.

Serbia Chinese Missiles FILE - A Y-20 transport aircraft of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force performs during the 12th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China 2018, in Zhuhai city, southern China on Nov. 7, 2018. He had earlier complained that NATO countries, which represent most of Serbia’s neighbors, are refusing to allow the system’s delivery flights over their territories amid tensions over Russia’s aggression on Ukraine. The Chinese missile system has been widely compared to the American Patriot and the Russian S-300 surface-to-air missile systems although it has a shorter range than more advanced S-300s. In 2020, it took delivery of Chengdu Pterodactyl-1 drones, known in China as Wing Loong. Serbia, Russia and China don’t recognize Kosovo’s statehood, while the United States and most Western countries do.

Russian ally Serbia has taken delivery of a sophisticated Chinese anti-aircraft system in a semi-secret operation this weekend, amid Western concerns that an arms buildup in the Balkans at the time of the war in Ukraine could threaten the fragile peace in the region.

Navy recruits who have recently signed up but aren't shipping out until the July to September time frame can opt to move up their departure and cash in as well.

DARPA said the missile flew for more 300 nautical miles and sustained speeds of more than Mach 5.

Jeremy Zier, who had been chosen for promotion to chief master sergeant, will retire as a technical sergeant.

The B-52's current engines, which also date back to the early 1960s, are soon reaching the end of their lifespans and must be replaced.

Northrop Grumman now has six of the stealthy, next-generation aircraft in various stages of production.

Sanctions are piling up on Russia and its wealthiest citizens as the war on Ukraine continues. The Washington Post's investigative foreign correspondent Greg Miller joins "CBS News Mornings" to discuss the impact.

The head of US Central Command called the emergence of weaponized small drones one of the most concerning tactical developments since the advent of the IED.

Troops would join 7,000 American service members already unilaterally deployed to Europe as Russia attacks Ukraine.

The billionaire who flew on his own SpaceX flight last year is headed back up, aiming for an even higher orbit and the chance to take part in a spacewalk.

Virus Outbreak Military Vaccine FILE - A healthcare worker fills a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Oct. 5, 2021, in Miami. The Air Force became the second military service to approve religious exemptions to the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine, granting requests from nine airmen to avoid the shots, officials said Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) (Lynne Sladky)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Air Force became the second military service to approve religious exemptions to the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine, granting requests from nine airmen to avoid the shots, officials said Tuesday. Eight of the Air Force approvals came during the initial review process, and one was granted on appeal to senior Air Force leaders. “The Department of the Air Force determined the service members’ accommodations could be supported with no impact to mission readiness,” the statement Tuesday said.

The Air Force has became the second military service to approve religious exemptions to the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine, granting requests from nine airmen to avoid the shots.

A judge ruled the Air Force failed to flag a conviction that could have prevented the gunman from buying the weapon used to kill 26 people in 2017.

The approximately 80 claimants include relatives of those killed and 21 survivors and their families.

An F-15EX Eagle II successfully fired off an air-to-air missile in pursuit of a target drone while flying over the Gulf of Mexico.

Navy discharges 23 over vaccine mandate The U.S. Navy announced Tuesday that it had discharged 23 active-duty sailors who refused to take the coronavirus vaccine. (PETE LEONG/Getty Images)The U.S. Navy announced Tuesday that it had discharged 23 active-duty sailors who refused to take the coronavirus vaccine. As of last week, the Marine Corps had discharged 334 Marines, and the Air Force had discharged 111 airmen for refusing to get the shots. The Air Force and Navy have also discharged entry-level service members going through their boot camps, who hadn’t yet reported to their service jobs, the AP reported. Twenty-two Navy and 37 Air Force recruits have been sent home.

There is evidence of more GOP sympathy for Vladimir Putin — as pushed most prominently by Trump and Carlson — but it hasn't manifested in big partisan differences when it comes to Ukraine, at least yet.

Kristin M. Kingrey of the West Virginia Air National Guard says a threat her career would be jeopardized if she didn’t look “more feminine” came true when she lost out on two jobs.

More than 12,000 military service members refusing the COVID-19 vaccine are seeking religious exemptions, and so far they're having zero success.

U.S. officials say all of the military services have now begun disciplinary actions and discharges for troops who have refused to get the mandated coronavirus vaccine, with as many as 20,000 unvaccinated forces at risk of being removed from service.

The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, making them what officials believe are the first service members to be removed for disobeying the mandate to get the shots.

More than 6% of the Air National Guard and Reserve did not meet the deadline to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and could begin to face consequences if they don’t get the mandated shots or receive an exemption, the Air Force said Friday.

The unmistakable roar of four jet engines broke the dead-of-night silence at Kennedy Space Center earlier this month, marking the arrival of a massive Air Force transport at the landing facility once used for space shuttles.

Taiwan says 27 Chinese aircraft entered its air defense buffer zone in the latest in a long series of incursions as part of Beijing’s pressure on the self-ruled island.

Taiwan has deployed the most advanced version of the F-16 fighter jet in its air force, as the self-ruled island steps up its defense capabilities in the face of continuing threats from China.

A new report says more than half of Air Force and Space Force personnel who responded to a survey said they've experienced some type of mental or physical abuse in the past two years.

The Air Force says nearly 8,500 active duty members of the Air Force and Space Force have missed the deadline for getting COVID-19 vaccinations, including 800 who flatly refused and nearly 5,000 with pending requests for a religious exemption.

As deadlines loom for military and defense civilians to get mandated COVID-19 vaccines, senior leaders are wrestling with the fate of tens of thousands who flatly refuse the shots or are seeking exemptions, and how to make sure they are treated fairly and equally.

Orlando attorney Dan Newlin is set to host a free concert in December featuring some of the biggest names in Country music.

Matt Araiza kicked two field goals, Kaegun Williams and Chance Bell and ran for touchdowns and No. 22 San Diego State withstood Air Force’s comeback bid to win 20-14.

Air Force Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost has became only the second woman to lead one of the Pentagon’s 11 so-called combatant commands that spearhead the military’s worldwide operations.

A military drone whose manufacturer says it can cruise for 20 hours at 15,000 meters (50,000 feet) is among Chinese warplanes, missiles and other weapons technology shown in public for the first time at the country’s biggest air show.

A new study finds that about a third of the female service members in the Air Force and Space Force say they’ve experienced sexual harassment and many can describe accounts of sexism and a stigma associated with pregnancy and maternity leave.

The U.S. military pilots and aircrew who made the final flights out of Afghanistan say the sky was lit up with fireworks and sporadic gunfire and the airfield littered with battered shells of airplanes and destroyed equipment.

A photo making the rounds on social media has sparked false claims that the U.S. left military service dogs in Kabul amid the military pullout.

An Air Force base in San Antonio was placed on lockdown for about an hour after military officials said gunfire was reported near a gate to the base.

The Associated Press has learned that leaders of the military services have expressed reservations to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about removing sexual assault cases from the chain of command.

The top U.S. general says the military must do more to improve career opportunities for Black Americans.

Former Vice President Mike Pence has undergone surgery to have a pacemaker implanted.

Former Vice President Mike Pence has a book deal.

(AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, Pool)MOSCOW – Three members of a Russian bomber's air crew died Tuesday when their ejection seats accidentally activated during preflight checks, the military said. The Russian Defense Ministry said the incident happened at an airbase in the Kaluga region, about 145 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of Moscow. It said the crew of a Tu-22M3 long-range bomber was preparing for a training mission when its ejection system malfunctioned and accidentally shot the crew out. Russian news reports said the fourth crew member survived the incident and was hospitalized. About 60 are estimated to remain in service with the Russian air force, and some have flown bombing missions to strike militants in Syria from their bases in Russia.

President Joe Biden waves as he and first lady Jill Biden board Air Force One at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Officials said he never got close to Air Force One. Hours later, the man walked undetected onto the flight line by slipping through a fence designed to restrict entry. Said said the modified Boeing 747 that serves as Air Force One for presidential travel was never at risk and that it is kept behind more layers of protection at Andrews. He did no harm and the Air Force investigation report, which was heavily censored by the Air Force before it was released Thursday, concluded that he had no plan to cause harm to Air Force personnel or equipment.

(AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)ABU DHABI – In spite of the surging coronavirus pandemic, major arms makers descended Sunday on a convention center in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, hoping to make deals with militaries across the Middle East. The UAE unveiled $1.36 billion in local and foreign arms deals to supply its forces with everything from South African drones to Serbian artillery. Significant national pavilions were absent, including the United States, the world’s largest arms exporter. Ad“The threats are obvious lately,” said Walid Abukhaled, CEO of Saudi Arabian Military Industries Company, a holding company owned by the country’s sovereign wealth fund. “If Iran goes into a major rearmament program or starts to flex its muscles, that’s where missile defense and air defense systems come in,” he said.

(AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)DENVER – The Department of Defense's inspector general announced Friday that it was reviewing the Trump administration's last-minute decision to relocate U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama. “Moving Space Command will disrupt the mission while risking our national security and economic vitality,” the senators said in a joint statement. We fully support the investigation.”Among other duties, the Space Command enables satellite-based navigation and troop communication and provides warning of missile launches. The Space Command differs from the U.S. Space Force, launched in December 2019 as the first new military service since the Air Force was created in 1947. The Space Command is not an individual military service but a central command for militarywide space operations.

FILE - In this Feb. 5, 2021, file photo Marine One, with President Joe Biden aboard, is seen past a member of the U.S. Air Force as it approaches Andrews Air Force Base, Md. The Air Force inspector general will do a second investigation into racial and ethnic disparities across the force, service leaders said Friday, expanding the review to include gender and additional racial categories such as Asian and American Indian. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)WASHINGTON – The Air Force inspector general will do a second investigation into racial and ethnic disparities across the force, service leaders said Friday, expanding the review to include gender and additional racial categories such as Asian and American Indian. AdActing Air Force Secretary John Roth, who ordered the latest review, said the IG will go directly to Air Force and Space Force service members for input. “The IG team has already begun to gather information contained in a wide array of previous reports, studies and various databases across the Department of the Air Force,” Roth said.

(AP Photo/David Goldman)Florida won’t be home to the U.S. Space Command after the Air Force plans to announce the Army’s Redstone Arsenal in Alabama will host the 11th unified combatant command over the favored base in Colorado. The U.S. Space Command was previously established in 1985 to coordinate the use of outer space by the branches of the U.S. military but later disbanded. In the meantime, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, thought to be the frontrunner candidate, will remain the temporary home of USSSPACECOM until the permanent headquarters is ready. Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; the Army’s Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Joint Base San Antonio, Texas; and Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska were also among the six finalists. During the final phase, the Air Force conducted both virtual and in person site visits at all six locations late last year.

4 UConn says it also must reschedule Wednesday’s women’s basketball game against Seton Hall. The Villanova game was postponed because the Wildcats also are dealing with COVID-19 issues within their women’s basketball program. ___Richmond’s men’s basketball team has paused team activities in response to the results from the latest COVID-19 testing and contact tracing. ___The Atlantic Coast Conference announced Tuesday that the Syracuse women’s basketball game at Georgia Tech on Thursday has been postponed. ___The women’s basketball game between No.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, violent protesters, loyal to President Donald Trump, storm the Capitol, in Washington. An internal FBI bulletin warned, as of Sunday, that the nationwide protests may start later this week and extend through Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, according to two law enforcement officials who read details of the memo to The Associated Press. The FBI issued at least one other bulletin — they go out to law enforcement nationwide on the topic — before the riots last week. The talk of armed marches next week isn't limited to “radicalized” Trump supporters. It's certainly going to be a judgment call on the part of law enforcement about whether and when to intervene.”___Kunzelman reported from College Park, Maryland.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday revealed Brevard County’s two Air Force bases have officially been renamed to be part of the U.S. Space Force branch. Pence landed at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station ahead of the National Space Council meeting at Kennedy Space Center, revealing the new names and a sign during a dedication ceremony. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the home of the 45th Weather Squadron, was renamed to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Patrick Air Force Base is now Patrick Space Force Base. The 45th Space Wing, which includes Patrick and the Space Force Station, oversees the Eastern range and was re-assigned to the U.S. Space Force. Pence said Trump was inspired to establish Space Force due to growing international competition from China and Russia.

Gen. Charles Yeager talks to members of the media following a re-enactment flight commemorating his breaking of the sound barrier 65 years earlier, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Yeager, the first pilot to break the sound barrier, died Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, at age 97. Yeager died Monday, his wife, Victoria Yeager, said on his Twitter account. Among the flights he made after breaking the sound barrier was one on Dec. 12. President Harry S. Truman awarded him the Collier air trophy in December 1948 for his breaking the sound barrier. ___This version corrects that Yeager flew an F-15, not an X-15, when he was 79.

Both of these holidays celebrate the brave men and women who protect our country, but is there a difference between the two days?

The private company launched a satellite called GPS-III-4 for the U.S. Space Force and Air Force right at the start of a 15-minute window at 6:24 p.m. The brand new Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The launch was unusual for SpaceX because the company regularly flies its flight-proven rocket boosters but this launch was conducted with all new hardware. The booster will fly again with another GPS satellite for the Air Force and Space Force next year. With a successful launch Thursday SpaceX is now one step closer to launching its second Dragon astronaut capsule to the space station.

California doesn’t have the minimum number of scholarship players available for the game as a result of the positive test and the need for other players to isolate under contact tracing protocols, the Pac-12 said in a statement Thursday. Wilcox had said Wednesday night that the game was in jeopardy because of the large number of players needing contact tracing. The school said the player with a positive test is asymptomatic. This marked the first positive test on Cal’s football team since practices began last month. This is the fourth time a Tulsa game has been postponed or canceled because of COVID cases.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – ***9:48 p.m. 10/2/2020***SpaceX has scrubbed the Friday night launch of a GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force and Air Force. First up, SpaceX is set to launch a GPS satellite for the U.S. Space Force and Air Force. SpaceX plans to land the rocket booster on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean less than 10 minutes after liftoff. This launch will send the Starlink satellite constellation near 800 spacecraft in low-Earth orbit. SpaceX and its competitor United Launch Alliance have both scrubbed multiple rocket launches for technical and weather issues this week.

The Pentagon refused to provide 2020 data or discuss the issue, but Army officials said discussions in Defense Department briefings indicate there has been up to a 20% jump in overall military suicides this year. Pointing to increases in Army suicides, murders and other violent behavior, he added, “We cannot say definitively it is because of COVID. “COVID adds stress,” said Gen. Charles Brown, the Air Force chief, in public remarks. The active duty Air Force and reserves had 98 suicides as of Sept. 15, unchanged from the same period last year. But last year was the worst in three decades for active duty Air Force suicides.

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___Army has finalized its football schedule and the Black Knights will play 11 games, eight at home. The rest of the home slate includes Louisiana-Monroe, BYU, Abilene Christian, The Citadel, Mercer, Air Force and Georgia Southern. ___Duke will open its season for football and other fall sports with no fans at home games because of the coronavirus pandemic. The school will contact football fans who have purchased season or single-game tickets or have seating and suite contracts in Blue Devil Tower regarding potential options. The school will allow fans to purchase a fan cutout of a person or pet to be placed in seats for football games.

A pilot from Israel, left, and a pilot from Germany, right, pose in front of an Eurofighter at the airbase in Noervenich, Germany, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. Pilots from Israel and Germany will fly together the next two weeks during the first joint military Air Force exercises between the two nations in Germany. We work closely together, we do exercises together, German soldiers are being trained in Israel.Israeli Air Force pilot Lt. The Israeli pilots arrived at the base in western Germany on Monday for two weeks of exercises. They are conducting training with the German air force for the first week, and also with planes from the Hungarian air force in the second week.

President Donald Trump, watches as Vice President Mike Pence swears in Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., as Chief of Staff of the Air Force as his wife Sharene Guilford Brown holds the Bible in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON President Donald Trump hosted the swearing-in of the first Black Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Charles Q. Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath of office to Brown, who was confirmed by the Senate in June in a 98-0 vote. Brown told Trump, It is a distinct honor for me to have this opportunity. He assumes the post later this week.

WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. The Air Force sees it as a matter of money, numbers and strategy. The Air Force also is spending heavily on new fighters and refueling aircraft, and like the rest of the military it foresees tighter defense budgets ahead. A B-2 bomber scarred U.S.-China relations in 1999 when it bombed Beijings embassy in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, killing three people. The Air Force proposes to eliminate 17 of its 62 Lancers in the coming year.

The military, however, still has a dramatically low death rate, losing three active-duty service members out of nearly 23,000 virus cases so far. I find that each base does things a little bit different, and theyve adapted very carefully, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said when he traveled to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri this week. The military has relied largely on its local commanders to make decisions about their base restrictions. For example, Army, Navy and Marine commanders had loosened restrictions at those bases in Japan, but reversed those decisions this month. Active-duty military cases of COVID-19 increased steadily through the spring, but began to escalate more sharply in June, jumping by about 3,000 or more a week.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. South Koreas first military communications satellite now appears to be on target for a Monday launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, though a shift remains possible as SpaceX has not yet officially confirmed the attempt, according to News 6 partner Florida Today. The Air Force has approved the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 40 during a four-hour window that opens at 5 p.m., a time frame that should see 70% "go" weather conditions. SpaceX had initially been targeting Sunday. Early Saturday, some of the marine fleet responsible for recovering SpaceX hardware at sea departed Port Canaveral for their designated zones. ANASIS II, or Army / Navy / Air Force / Satellite Information System, is an Airbus-built communications satellite targeting a geostationary orbit about 22,000 miles above Earth.

WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Mark Esper took steps Wednesday to expand diversity within the military and reduce prejudice, but he skirted several major decisions, including whether to ban the Confederate flag at defense installations. President Donald Trump has flatly rejected any notion of changing base names, and has defended the flying of the Confederate flag, saying its a freedom of speech issue. The Marine Corps and U.S. commands in Korea and Japan have already banned display of the Confederate flag, saying it can inflame division and weaken unit cohesion. For example, he ordered the military to no longer include photos of service members when they are being considered by a promotion board. He also ordered a review of hairstyle and grooming policies, which all the military services have done multiple times in recent years.