Military Archive

Air Force Special Operations Command welcomed Air Attachés from 12 various allied and partner nations to Hurlburt Field, Florida, October 23, 2023. 

Attaché tours are a key function of the Department of the Air Force Foreign Liaison Office, which organizes the engagements to enhance partners’ understanding of American history and culture and enable firsthand experience with U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force operations and structure.

The decision to raise your right hand and take the Oath of Office can feel like a huge leap of faith. This was the case for U.S. Air Force Capt. Donsha Watkins, 9th Reconnaissance Wing chaplain, who pondered this decision for many years.

Hurlburt Field, Fla. – Extended Reality (XR) is revolutionizing the way Air Force Special Operations Command is approaching training and readiness. XR is an umbrella term that encompasses Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) to create a spectrum of experiences that range from fully virtual environments to overlays of digital content onto the real world. These technologies manipulate our perception of reality, hence the term “extended.” The manipulation of reality is at the core of XR, and it’s transforming the training landscape of AFSOC.

Eglin Air Force Base – The base hosted two resiliency training sessions here Oct. 2.

Kristen Christy, a national resilience trainer, shared her message with base personnel, including her own heartbreaking story of tragic losses.

Eglin Air Force Base – The Marine Corps XQ-58A Valkyrie, a highly autonomous, low-cost tactical unmanned air vehicle successfully completed its first test flight here Oct 3.

The Marine Corps partnered with the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the Naval Air Systems Command and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division to facilitate the ongoing research, development, test and evaluation of the aircraft.

The 96th Test Wing is scheduled to conduct testing on the Eglin range complex Tuesday, Aug. 8 requiring the closure of State Roads 85 and 123. The roads will be closed between 9 a.m. and noon.

A commander with Hurlburt Field’s 1st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron has been demoted after being arrested Feb. 18 in Shalimar. Collin Charlie Christopherson, 37, of Niceville, is charged with driving under the influence (DUI), hit and run and a moving traffic violation for reckless driving resulting in damage to property or a person. The Shalimar Police Department responded to the incident involving Christopherson and made the arrest.

Eglin Air Force Base — The 96th Test Wing is scheduled to conduct testing on the Eglin range complex requiring the closure of State Road 285. Testing is scheduled to take place from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3. The road will be closed between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. each day.

The city of Crestview is sending its official support to Washington in hopes of seeing Congress put back the drilling restrictions that were removed from the eastern Gulf of Mexico earlier this year. The City Council approved a resolution at its most recent meeting supporting ongoing efforts in Washington to restore oil and natural gas drilling restrictions in the gulf.

Steam rises off the pavement on a rainy Wednesday morning when a police vehicle pulls off the street. A homeless family sheltering from the early downpour under the overhang of an old church structure were startled by the police car until Officer Bhagwatsingh stepped out with a smile and a wave.