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Brown formally installed as 22nd Air Force Chief of Staff
August 6, 2020 — In remarks following the formal “Change of Responsibility” ceremony in which he took over from retiring Gen. David L. Goldfein, the 21st Chief of Staff, Brown acknowledged an array of people who influenced his life. Among them were his wife, Sharene, and his parents, as well as a list of Air Force colleagues, including Goldfein and other “extraordinary leaders.”... MORE

Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett administers the oath of office to incoming Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. during the CSAF Transfer of Responsibility ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Aug. 6, 2020. Brown is the 22nd Chief of Staff of the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Wayne Clark)

Air Force removes administrative burden, allows pregnant and postpartum women to attend PME
July 29, 2020 — Pregnant and postpartum members may now attend professional military education without an exception to policy, and are also exempt from the requirement to have a passing fitness assessment prior to attending. Previous policy prevented pregnant women and women within their one-year postpartum deferment period from attending PME, creating an unintended barrier to their developmental milestones. ... MORE

Lt. Col. Hallie Herrera salutes during her change of command ceremony at Fort George G. Meade, Md., June 16, 2020. Hererra, who was eight months pregnant at the time, took command of the 22nd Intelligence Squadron. (U.S. Air Force courtesy photo by Felix Herrera)

Name, rank, service and badges will be more identifiable on OCP
July 24, 2020 — OCP rank insignia, badges, name, and service tapes will now feature a lighter, three-color background pattern, versus the current seven-color pattern, to increase readability and ease rank recognition... MORE

OCP rank insignia, badges, name, and service tapes will now feature a lighter, three-color background pattern, versus the current seven-color pattern, to increase readability and ease rank recognition.

Air Force publishes resources to support Airmen & Space Professionals in courageous conversations
July 19, 2020 — To equip leaders in leading those necessary conversations, the Department of the Air Force developed a resource list on race-specific issues, unconscious bias, diversity and inclusion, among others... MORE

Air Force building more inclusive culture through Dress and Appearance updates
July 10, 2020 — The changes, as outlined in an Air Force Guidance Memorandum dated July 1, 2020, include the removal of subjective language and other rules that may have been creating unintentional or unfair barriers for Air and Space Force uniformed members... MORE

Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey helps civilians voice their opinions
July 7, 2020 — The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey is a government-wide, Office of Personnel Management administered annual survey that Air Force civilian employees have been participating in since 2006. The approximately 100-question survey takes 20 to 30 minutes to complete and is anonymous... MORE

Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey graphic

USSF field command structure reduces command layers, focuses on space warfighter needs
July 2, 2020 — The Department of the Air Force and the United States Space Force have finalized the new service’s organizational structure for echelons below the headquarters, reflecting the newest branch of the armed forces’ guiding principles of being a lean, agile and mission-focused organization... MORE

The U.S. Space Force organizes, trains, and equips space forces in order to protect and defend U.S. and allied interests in space and to provide space capabilities to the joint force. (U.S. Air Force graphic)

Chief Master Sgt. JoAnne S. Bass named 19th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
June 19, 2020 — In selecting Bass, incoming Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown said Bass brings skills, temperament and experience that the job requires and an outlook on leadership that meshes with his own... MORE

Chief Master Sgt. JoAnne S. Bass was selected June 19 to become the 19th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, becoming the first woman in history to serve as the highest ranking noncommissioned member of a U.S. military service.

Air Force IG directed to independently examine racial disparities in service’s discipline, advancement opportunities
June 10, 2020 — Department of the Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett and service chiefs, Gen. David Goldfein and Gen. Jay Raymond, have directed the Department of the Air Force Inspector General to independently review the service’s record on military discipline and developmental opportunities for African American Airmen and Space Professionals... MORE

DOD, Department of the Air Force take steps to protect military families moving during COVID-19
May 7, 2020 — Under the new standards, moving industry personnel must adhere to all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 health protection protocols while in the service member’s residence. That means moving personnel must wear face coverings, clean frequently touched surfaces and sanitize their hands often. They must also minimize the number of personnel at the member’s residence in order to meet social distancing requirements... MORE

Watch: Wilford Hall begins in-house COVID-19 testing
April 21, 2020 — Airmen from the 59th Medical Wing have stepped up to the fight against COVID-19 by beginning testing samples taken from patients suspected of having coronavirus... MORE

59th Medical Wing; JPG optimized for print.

Air Force releases grooming, fitness guidance during COVID-19
April 3, 2020 — In a message to Airmen March 31, Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, Air Force deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, explained installation commanders have the authority to adjust standards as needed, while also encouraging Airmen to maintain grooming and fitness standards to the greatest extent possible... MORE

Military OneSource, family and spouse programs still available
March 30, 2020 — Military OneSource is a Department of Defense-funded program that is both a call center and website that provides comprehensive information, support, and resources on every aspect of military life... MORE

Air Force BMT adjusts schedules, locations to sustain mission readiness
March 27, 2020 — In order to ensure the health and safety of trainees and instructors and to preserve dorm capacity, new recruits will be brought in based on a four-week repeating cycle that includes stringent restricted movement guidelines, dedicated time for deep cleaning between rotations, resetting the instructor cadre and the testing of an alternate BMT location at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. ... MORE

Goldfein emphasizes protecting force from COVID-19 while fulfilling all missions, operational priorities
March 19, 2020 — Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein said March 18 there have been seven confirmed cases of the new coronavirus to date among active-duty personnel, but that the Air Force is “still conducting global missions … which is priority one.” ... MORE

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein conducts a press briefing with the Pentagon Press Corps to address Air Force response efforts for COVID-19 at the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., March 18, 2020. (U.S. Air Force photo by Wayne Clark)

Gen. Charles Q. Brown nominated to be next Air Force Chief of Staff
March 2, 2020 — If confirmed by the Senate, Gen. Charles Q. Brown would assume one of the two highest positions in the Air Force from Gen. David L. Goldfein, who is retiring June 30 after four years as Chief of Staff. Brown would be the first African-American to serve as a service chief... MORE

AF Secretary highlights space, modernization, alliances, people as pressing priorities
February 28, 2020 — Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett said Feb. 27 that successfully launching the Space Force while also modernizing the Air Force, strengthening ties with allies and partners and ensuring a culture of trust for Airmen and their families are the priorities that will drive the service into a successful future... MORE

Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett delivers remarks during the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 27, 2020. The three-day event is a professional development forum that offers the opportunity for Department of Defense personnel to participate in forums, speeches, seminars and workshops with defense industry professionals. (U.S. Air Force photo by Wayne Clark)

Pilot Training Next, Air Force ROTC partner for distance learning instruction
February 11, 2020 — For the first time ever, Air Force ROTC cadets with Detachment 536 at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, received real-time instruction remotely from a fully qualified Air Force instructor pilot sitting an airport in Louisiana... MORE

Pilot Training Next helped make Air Force ROTC history while pushing the limits of technology and training during their recent partnership with Clarkson University.

Air Force Chief of Staff offers optimistic update on AF’s evolution, future
January 28, 2020 — Creating a system that uses data, machine learning and state-of-the art software to seamlessly link “sensors to shooters” across all domains – air, land, sea, cyber and space – is among Goldfein’s highest priorities as the Air Force’s highest-ranking military officer... MORE

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein during an appearance Jan. 27 at the Center for a New American Security, emphasized the importance of a strong presence in space and the need to harness data. Both, he said, are central to ensuring that the Air Force is able to meet and prevail against modern-day threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eric Dietrich)

AETC, AMC team up on VR solutions for modern C-130 training
January 27, 2020 — Headquarters Air Force, Air Mobility Command, and Air Education and Training Command have been working on a virtual-reality platform for maintenance training through Mass Virtual, a contractor that scans real-world objects to create virtual environments. ... MORE

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Kenneth Renfrow, 19th Maintenance Group maintenance qualifications training instructor, uses a virtual reality headset