Air Force

They are growing frustrated with the Air Force's inability to pinpoint why pilots suffer from oxygen deprivation in the aircraft.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) said she thinks Congress should hold hearings on the growing sexual assault scandal at a Texas Air Force base involving basic training instructors and female recruits.

Hutchison made the comments Monday while touring the Warrior Family Support Center at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

“I think having the hearings is certainly appropriate,” she said, without elaborating when asked if she would call for hearings.

The lawmakers said a “complete separation” of church and state is having a “chilling effect” down the chain of command.

Two of the Air Force's premiere unmanned aerial drones are also the service's top two aircraft that are likely to crash and burn during a given operation. 

Air Force Special Operations Command will not ground its fleet of V-22 Ospreys despite the ongoing investigation into Wednesday's crash that injured five airmen. 

Two lawmakers said Thursday that the oxygen issue that has plagued the F-22 Raptor is more prevalent than the Air Force has previously disclosed publicly.

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) released data on the F-22’s oxygen problem Thursday showing that the plane has had 10 times more incidents of oxygen-deprivation than any other Air Force aircraft.

The president told cadets the United States was "stronger and safer" with the end of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is pressing the Pentagon on whether a plan to overhaul its entire fleet of F-22 Raptors will harm ongoing Air Force operations around the world. 

Air Force Gen. Mark Welsh III is being tapped to replace Gen. Norton Schwartz as Air Force chief of staff, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced Thursday.

Panetta said at a Pentagon press briefing Thursday that President Obama had selected Welsh to replace the retiring Schwartz.

Welsh, who must be confirmed by the Senate, is currently the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe, a job he’s held since December 2010. Schwartz is planning to retire this summer.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said Tuesday he wants to ensure that the pilots who spoke out publicly about safety concerns on the Air Force's F-22 Raptor fighter jet don't "have their wings taken away" or face administrative action as a result.