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The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black pilots in United States military service. They should be remembered for their heroism against great odds during World War II, overcoming obstacles not [...]

In late March and early April 1965, as the North Vietnamese air defenses were attempting to blunt the impact of the Rolling Thunder bombing missions, they began to deploy a [...]

United States Air Force Colonel Robin Olds took command of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing (8th TFW) at Ubon Royal Thai Air Base during the first week of October 1966. [...]

Arguably, one of the most successful campaigns in Air Power history was Operation Allied Force (OAF). In its im mediate aftermath, on June 6, 1999, the preeminent military historian, John [...]

The origin of rockets can be traced to China in the 12th Century and there have been attempts to use them in warfighting ever since. However, early efforts to study [...]

The 9-episode mini-series'Masters of the Air,' appearing on Apple TV+, is a depiction of America's World War II bombing of Germany that is simultaneously riveting, tragic, and terrifying. Based on [...]

'A Christmas Mission' Rick Herter is one of the rarest of humans. He can exist in a three-dimensional universe and translate that experience to canvas in a way that makes [...]

Background: Decreases in size, capability, clinical volumes, case mixes, and complex care opportunities in military treatment facilities contribute to the atrophy of clinical skills among medical professionals in these facilities. Local Problem: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a 39% decline in admissions to a military critical care unit. The decrease in patient census contributed to skill sustainment challenges. Methods: To identify methods to combat skill atrophy, the CINAHL and PubMed databases were searched using the terms peacetime effect, military-civilian partnership, and skill sustainment. Active-duty critical care nurses stationed at a military treatment facility implemented a military-civilian partnership with a civilian medical facility for clinical skill sustainment. Results: One year after implementation, 39 critical care nurses had completed 511 shifts, gaining clinical experiences seldom achieved at the military facility. A survey of these nurses demonstrated that 8 of 17 (47%) gained experience treating patients requiring intra-aortic balloon pumps or continuous renal replacement therapy, 6 of 17 (36%) gained experience with patients requiring a ventricular assist device, 12 of 17 (71%) acquired hands-on experience with intracranial pressure monitoring, and 14 of 17 (82%) reported vasoactive intravenous infusion manipulation. Conclusions: This article highlights the importance of evaluating clinical practice within the military health system, developing military-civilian partnerships, and removing military-civilian partnership barriers for nurses and other health care professionals. Failure to implement military-civilian partnerships may adversely affect the clinical competency of the military nurse force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

U.S. Air Force cyber personnel were faced with changes in their workplace, fitness routines, and personal lives during the COVID19 pandemic. Adjusting to COVID-19-related requirements likely increased the stress of already stressful jobs for military members and their families, which could have resounding impacts on emotional, social, and physical well-being. Therefore, it is important to evaluate psychological health outcomes and self-perceived impacts of the changes presented to cyber personnel because of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online occupational health assessment that included demographics, standardized measures of burnout, psychological distress, and work role strain; health behaviors; and perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic was administered to 1488 cyber personnel. Thirty-two negative themes and 13 positive themes were created from qualitative coding for "How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted you as an individual?" Of the themes created, 966 (68.5%) reported at least one negative impact and 440 (31.2%) reported at least one positive impact. Top-reported negative impacts were limited face-to-face interactions and loss of personal activities. Negative impacts were associated with negative psychological health outcomes (e.g., psychological distress, exhaustion, cynicism) and work role strain. Action-oriented recommendations are given in the event of another pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is the most deadly form the exertional heat illness with a higher incidence among active duty US military members than in the general population. Current guidelines on EHS recovery timelines and return to duty vary among the military branches. In some cases, individuals experience prolonged heat and exercise intolerance with repeat exertional heat illness events, which can complicate the recovery process. Management and rehabilitation of such individuals is unclear. Case Presentation: This manuscript addresses the case and management of a US Air Force Special Warfare trainee who experienced 2 episodes of EHS, despite early recognition, gold standard treatment, and undergoing 4 weeks of a stepwise recovery after an initial EHS. Management and Outcomes: After the second episode, a 3-step process was utilized, consisting of a prolonged and personalized recovery period, heat tolerance testing using Israeli Defense Force advanced modeling, and stepwise reacclimatization. This process allowed the trainee to successfully recover from repeat EHS and return to duty, and set a framework for future repeat EHS treatment guidelines. Conclusions: In individuals with repeat EHS, a prolonged recovery period followed by heat tolerance testing can be used to demonstrate appropriate thermotolerance and safely clear an individual to begin stepwise reacclimatization. Overall, patient care and military readiness may be improved by unified Department of Defense guidelines for return to duty after EHS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a child in the 1950s, my late brother Dennis 'Denny' Lipp, collected Revell model-airplane kits. He assembled the replicas of military jets, memorized the features of each, and displayed [...]

Some leaders tend to use their intuition to think and make decisions more than others do. This individual difference (i.e., an intuitive cognitive style) may have important implications for the collectives of people they lead. Unfortunately, scholars lack a clear understanding of the conditions under which intuition is effective, especially in the context of large and complex organizational structures such as multiteam systems (MTSs). We argue that the effects of leaders' intuitive cognitive style on MTS performance depends on the amount of information load they face in their roles, as well as their level of introversion: a personality characteristic that is associated with an inward and reflective focus. Using a sample of 222 MTSs comprised of Captains in the United States Air Force, our study demonstrated that the intuitive cognitive style of leaders in high information load roles positively affected MTS performance, especially if they were high in introversion. In low information load roles, however, an intuitive cognitive style had a negative effect on MTS performance, especially for leaders low in introversion. We also argued and found that MTS coordination effectiveness played a key mediating role. Our study advances research in multiple areas of work, including intuition, MTSs, and leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interest in flying wings dates as far as the early years of the aviation age. Early investigations of the feasibility of the concept demonstrated increased aerodynamic efficiency and reduced fuel consumption. However, structural, engine integration, and stability and control issues prevented further development. In the 1990s, a new concept, the blended wing body (BWB), was created to alleviate some of the concerns of flying wings while maintaining increased efficiency and adding further benefits, such as reduced pollutant and noise emissions. Despite the promise, technical hurdles once again proved to be a deal breaker and, as of 2024, the only successful flying wing is the B-2 Spirit, an extremely complex and expensive aircraft. Nowadays, with the world quickly transitioning towards cleaner energy, the interest in the BWB has been renewed. The latest technological advancements in the aerospace industry should make its development more plausible; however, passenger comfort issues remain. Surprisingly, the BWB development may come from an unexpected application, as a tanker aircraft. As the U.S. Air Force is seeking a replacement to hundreds of aging tankers, a startup company was recently funded to develop the concept and build a prototype. In this study, we explore the history of blended designs from its early days, highlighting its opportunities and challenges—and why the design is an intriguing fit for application as a tanker aircraft. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On August 23, 1958, three hundred Chinese Communist field guns fired over 40,000 rounds against the Nationalist- held offshore islands of Quemoy and Matsu. (1) For the next five days, [...]