The Thunderbirds, the Air Force's aerial demonstration team, perform precision flying during an air show commemorating the Air Force's 70th anniversary at Great Falls, Nevada, July 21. (Staff Sgt. Nieko Carzis/Air Force)
It has been a turbulent year, at home and abroad. Here are a selection of images reflecting just some of the major news stories of 2017.
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President Donald Trump selected retired Marine Gen. Jim Mattis as his secretary of defense. With Republicans in charge of Congress, a priority of the new team is to boost the military budget by tens of billions of dollars. The administration has also loosened the rules of engagement and increased the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. (Susan Walsh/AP)
An F-16 Fighting Falcon prepares to receive fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker over Afghanistan Nov. 19. As part of a new strategy, more airmen and aircraft are deploying to provide vital air support to Afghan and coalition forces on the ground as part of the Resolute Support mission. (Staff Sgt. Sean Martin/Air Force)
An Air Force pilot prepares equipment inside the cockpit of an F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft before a sortie in support of Operation Inherent Resolve in Southwest Asia Nov 7. The ongoing pilot shortage is a major concern, and has led to a big boost in the pilot retention bonus, a decrease in nonessential duties. and plans to boost the capacity of the training pipeline. (Senior Airman Joshua Kleinholz/Air Force)
Two Air Force B-1B Lancers, not pictured, join up with South Korean air force F-15s during a 10-hour mission from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, into Japanese airspace and over the Korean Peninsula July 30. North Korea continues to threaten its neighbors and advance its ability to launch ICBMs that could reach the U.S. mainland, leading to multiple shows of force by the U.S. and its allies in the region. (Tech. Sgt. Kamaile Casillas/Air Force)
An Air Force C-17 Globemaster III pilot with the 816th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron conducts combat airlift operations for U.S. and coalition forces in Syria Nov. 4. Air Force support for Operation Inherent Resolve helped drive Islamic State militants out of population centers in Iraq and Syria and destroy the so-called caliphate, but the battle continues. (Tech. Sgt. Gregory Brook/Air Force)
Tech. Sgt. James Anderson, an aircraft structural maintainer assigned to the 23rd Equipment Maintenance Squadron, hugs his family at Moody Air Force Base, Ga., Oct. 6 during a redeployment. The operations tempo in the Air Force remains high, and senior service officials remain concerned about deploy-to-dwell ratios, especially among the most in-demand airmen. (Senior Airman Greg Nash/
Air Force)
Airmen with the 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron connect fuel hoses to a KC-135 Stratotanker at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar July 6. The Air Force made a significant dent in the overall shortage of maintainers in 2017, but it will take several years to get them the experience and skills needed for a 5- or 7-level rating. (Staff Sgt. Trevor McBride/Air Force)
Airmen were heavily involved in humanitarian and relief efforts around the world and in the United States, particularly after several hurricanes caused devastation in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Here, airmen from the 60th Aerial Port Squadron at Travis Air Force Base, California, prepare school buses for airlift to Port au Prince, Haiti, Nov. 20. (Louis Briscese/Air Force)
F-35A Lightning II’s from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, land at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, April 15. The aircraft’s arrival marked the first F-35A fighter training deployment to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility. F-35s are also making their presence felt in the Asia Pacific region. (Tech. Sgt. Matthew Plew/Air Force)
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Cheryl Mason's shift from administration insider to department watchdog elicited concerns about her ability to be an independent voice on VA operations.
