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.

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.

It’s hard to imagine today, but just over 100 years ago the coastal plains of America from Virginia to eastern Texas were covered by about 92 million acres of longleaf pines. Fortunately, we have folks like Vernon Compton who care about preserving and restoring the 1.3 million acres left in Northwest Florida and South Alabama.

The brass ensemble of the U.S. Air Force Band of the West, stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is comprised of two trumpets, French horn, trombone, tuba and percussion, and played to a full house at Warriors Hall on a cold, rainy Friday evening.

He told the media last week that he’d been kicked out, but he’s still there, according to Ann Sprague, president of the Crestview Area Shelter for the Homeless.

Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) and several community leaders recently announced the final passage of resolutions supporting an increase in the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rate for military service members in Florida’s First District. The resolutions were introduced and passed in Escambia County, Okaloosa County, Santa Rosa County, and Walton County.