Airman Joins Elite Company:

Sept. 25, 2006

TSgt. Stephen Achey, a combat controller with the 682nd Air Support Operations Squadron, Shaw AFB, S.C., received a Keeper of the Flame Award last week, along with members of the other military services and Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Achey already has received a Silver Star for his actions in Afghanistan in 2002, when he risked his life to retrieve a GPS locator and call in air support during a firefight. Among past recipients of the Keeper Award are former President Ronald Reagan, former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, and Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Related Content

WATCH: The 2021 vAWS Day 3 Highlight Report

Feb. 26, 2021
Acting Secretary of the Air Force Roth, NORAD’s Gen. VanHerck, U.S. Space Command’s Gen. Dickinson, Spark Tank, and more from Day 3 of the Air Force Association’s virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium.

Spark Tank-Winning Idea Saves Time, Money

Feb. 26, 2021
A crew chief and production superintendent from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., took home the 3D-printed trophy in the Department of the Air Force’s Spark Tank innovation contest for a simple idea he predicts could “solve a lot of issues across the aircraft community.” Master Sgt. Justin Bauer pitched his…

Air Force About to Make First Hypersonic Missile Flight, After Recent Failure

Feb. 26, 2021
The first flight of the AGM-183A hypersonic missile will happen within a week, experts reported Feb. 26 at AFA'a virtual Air Warfare Symposium. The Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon will fly soon after a failed attempt, which was apparently due to technical and procedural glitches not related to the missile's design.

ACC Moving Forward with ‘Reforge’ Experiment Amid Funding Concerns

Feb. 26, 2021
Air Combat Command is trying to move forward with an experiment it hopes will pave the way for a larger overhaul of fighter pilot training, despite pandemic-era complications. The command is working through the contracting process for the resources it needs to test the “Reforge” idea, ACC boss Gen. Mark…

ANG Helps Texas Recover from Winter Storm Uri

Feb. 26, 2021
Nearly 140 Air National Guard personnel from Texas and Kentucky have responded to parts of Texas that were devastated by Winter Storm Uri, ANG Director Lt. Gen. Michael A. Loh told reporters Feb. 26. The polar vortex ravaged Texas’ power grid and deprived many citizens of running water.

DOD Commission to Look at All Options to Combat Sexual Assault

Feb. 26, 2021
The Pentagon’s new Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military has 90 days to find ways to combat the problem within the ranks, and the group will consider all options to address an issue that has “shattered the dreams” of many service members who joined with optimism about…

AETC Adds Human Performance Layer to UPT 2.5

Feb. 26, 2021
Air Education and Training Command has incorporated a focus on human performance optimization—which includes personal resilience, health, fitness, diet, and mental performance—into its Undergraduate Pilot Training 2.5 program, 19th Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Craig D. Wills said at the Air Force Association’s virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium.

F-15Es Conducted Strike on Iranian-Backed Militias in Syria

Feb. 26, 2021
Two USAF F-15E Strike Eagles conducted the Feb. 25 strike on infrastructure used by Iranian-linked militias in Syria, dropping seven precision-guided munitions on a border crossing complex in a move designed to send a message in the region, the Pentagon said. The F-15E mission destroyed nine facilities near the Abu…