Tag: usaf

Air Force Officer Exposes the Truth to Her Command and Faces Retaliation

An Air Force officer bravely stepped forward to confront the injustices that plagued her fellow service members, only to find herself in the crosshairs.

This is yet another instance of a service member voicing concerns regarding misconduct within their command, which included accusations of toxic leadership, favoritism, harassment, and a failure in accountability, only to encounter harsh retaliation for speaking up.

The Gateway Pundit spoke to Lt. Col. Natalie A. Rowell of the California Air National Guard. With 33 years of service to the country, she most recently held the position of 195th Force Support Flight Commander at Beale Air Force Base.

From this position, she observed various troubling issues named above. Throughout the years, she had consistently dedicated herself to enhancing the military. Consequently, she views herself as having been “a whistleblower entrenched in California for quite some time.”

In September 2024, she brought one of her concerns to Major General Matthew P. Beevers, the Adjutant General overseeing the California National Guard and the entire California Military Department, which includes both Army and Air National Guard units.

She conveyed that his Selective Retention Review Board (SRRB) was not being carried out appropriately. The SRRB is a committee assembled by the military to assess the records of service members who are eligible for ongoing service but may not be retained. This process can be initiated due to reasons such as length of service, force restructuring, or particular performance issues, and is not intended for punitive measures.

“It was affecting people, even to the point that some were suicidal,” she disclosed, stressing that this was the reason she felt compelled to voice her concerns.

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US Universities Had Extensive Ties With Chinese Defense Research Labs, Air Force Study Finds

Thirty U.S. academic institutions have until Aug. 31 to examine specified foreign research ties or risk losing eligibility for future federal research funding.

Seven days after the Pentagon ordered the reviews, an Air Force-affiliated institute published a study cataloging 204 interactions involving U.S. institutions and laboratories at the center of China’s defense research system.

The Aug. 24 study by the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI) found more U.S. institution-level interactions with China’s Defense Science and Technology Key Laboratories than those involving institutions from any other country.

CASI describes the Defense Science and Technology Key Laboratories as China’s highest level national laboratory network for military research. The contacts it identified ranged from academic visits and conferences to coauthored technical research and formal joint laboratories in fields including aero-engines, underwater sensing, hyperspectral target detection, advanced communications, and aerospace materials.

CASI described interactions between Western researchers and Chinese military laboratories as “at the very least problematic,” saying even seemingly benign exchanges could give Chinese defense researchers access to knowledge and technology useful to the People’s Liberation Army.

CASI Director Brendan Mulvaney told The Epoch Times that institutional collaborations-including joint laboratories, long-term partnerships, and mutual study or training agreements-were the most concerning because they represented sustained cooperation rather than one-off encounters.

The Pentagon’s Aug. 17 order directs 30 U.S. institutions to review academic, financial, and research relationships with foreign entities of concern and report what action they have taken by Aug. 31.

The Pentagon did not publicly identify the schools. According to a list DefenseScoop obtained from a U.S. official, Harvard University, MIT, the University of California-Berkeley, Duke University, Penn State, the University of Texas at Austin, New York University, and the University of Southern California are among institutions on that list that also appear in CASI’s records.

The Pentagon has not said that the relationships identified by CASI prompted the Aug. 17 notices.

Purdue and Beihang Built Joint Research Labs

In 2011, Purdue and Beihang formally established the BUAA-Purdue Joint Laboratory on Energy Systems and the BUAA-Purdue Joint Laboratory on Low Emissions Combustion.

Then-Purdue President France Córdova and Beihang President Huai Jinpeng signed the agreements.

The energy laboratory paired Purdue’s computational modeling with Beihang’s experimental capabilities. The combustion laboratory focused on low emission gas turbine combustors used in aircraft and power generation.

Beihang records also describe the two laboratories as formal joint research arrangements and say the universities discussed broader scientific research, teaching, and faculty and student exchanges.

Beihang later described the combustion laboratory within a research program that also undertook Chinese National Defense 973 projects, a state-backed basic research program supporting its defense science and technology.

CASI identified Beihang’s thermal engineering department-which oversees a Defense Science and Technology Key Laboratory for aero-engine aerodynamics and thermodynamics-as having established a joint combustion research team with Purdue.

Beihang is now on the Pentagon’s Section 1286 list of foreign institutions subject to tighter research security restrictions.

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Leftwing USAFA Grad Gets Arrested Again

Update on the completely dishonorable Air Force Major Jason Watson—a 2009 US Air Force Academy graduate in the USAF for 17 years and passed over twice for Lt. Colonel.

Recall that back in July he stood on US Capitol steps in his Air Force uniform to denounce his Commander-in-Chief President Trump and Vice President Vance, thus skewering his already lackluster career.

Watson was arrested and taken into custody at Air Force at Joint Base Andrews who put him under a gag order.

The other day, making sure his Air Force career was thoroughly flushed down the toilet, he disobeyed that order and recently went on CNN to once again denigrate the Commander-in-Chief and calling for his removal.

The day after this CNN interview, Watson told his Air Force superiors that he would “no longer be wearing his uniform.” His chain of command said he needed to put his uniform back on.

Refusing, he was once again arrested and put in jail. His lawyer said, “He expected this, he expected to be arrested.”

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‘Do What Israel Tells You!’ – Graffiti On USAF Jet Suggests Troops Think War Isn’t For America

It only took two weeks of fighting for a majority of polled Americans to conclude that the war on Iran benefits Israel more than the United States. If comments from a prominent, former Navy SEAL and graffiti written in the dust of a US Air Force jet in the Middle East are any indication, many American service members are convinced their participation in the war only serves the agenda of the State of Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.  

On Sunday, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft executive VP Trita Parsi posted a photo that he said was sent to him “from the field” showing temporary graffiti one or more service members had written in the dust of a military aircraft.

Some messages on what looks like a Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker satirically embrace the idea that American service members should be enthusiastic about serving Israel: 

  • “Be a good goy and do what Israel tells you to!!!” 
  • “I LOVE ISRAEL. I AM A GOOD GOYIM.” 
  • “BiBi’s Cucks”

Some clarifications are in order. “Bibi” is a nickname used by Netanyahu, and “cuck” refers to weak men who submit to other men’s domination.”Goy” and “goyim” are, respectively, singular and plural Hebrew nouns used to refer to non-Jews. Those two words aren’t inherently derogatory toward non-Jews. However, like other labels for people, they can be used derisively or as an “outsider label” depending on the context. For example, in an email conversation with AI scientist Roger Schank, convicted sex-criminal Jeffrey Epstein wrote, “This is the way the jew [sic] make money… let the goyim deal in the real world.”

Epstein made an appearance on the dusty wing flap too. Reflecting a widespread but not-yet-proven theory that Israel coerced Trump into starting a war on Iran by threatening to release damning information obtained by Epstein, one of the messages repeats a common play on words that turns US “Operation Epic Fury” into “Operation Epstein Fury.” 

Another message mocks the Trump administration’s recurring claims that a deal to end the five-month-old war and open the Strait of Hormuz is imminent: “Peace Deal #64 Incoming… ALL THIS FOR THE HOLY LAND.” Another mocks the surveillance state that’s rising at home while service members who are sworn to defend the Constitution are sent overseas for an unconstitutional war launched on false premises: “I love Flock Cameras.”  

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Air Force Engineer Accused Of Cutting Down AI Cameras Becomes Unlikely Hero, Raises Thousands For Legal Defense

A U.S. Air Force engineer charged with allegedly destroying a series of AI-powered license plate surveillance cameras has become an unlikely cause célèbre among privacy advocates, drawing thousands of dollars in donations to help fund his legal defense, according to Yahoo News.

Jeffrey Sovern, a 41-year-old Air Force engineer and mechanic from Virginia, is accused of cutting down multiple Flock Safety license plate reader cameras. He now faces 13 counts of destruction of property, along with six counts each of petit larceny and possession of burglary tools.

The case comes as Flock Safety’s automated license plate reader network continues to spread rapidly across the country. Supporters say the cameras help police solve crimes, while critics argue they create a growing surveillance network that tracks the movements of ordinary Americans and raises serious privacy concerns.

Yahoo News writes that opposition to the systems has intensified in some communities, with vandals reportedly using everything from spray paint and garbage bags to chainsaws to disable or destroy the cameras.

Sovern has made no secret of his views. In a GoFundMe campaign created to cover his legal expenses, he framed the case as a fight over privacy rights.

“My name is Jeff and I appreciate my privacy. I appreciate everyone’s right to privacy, enshrined in the fourth amendment,” Sovern wrote.

He said the criminal case has taken a significant emotional toll on him and those close to him, adding that the encouragement he has received online prompted him to launch the fundraiser.

Originally seeking $8,500, the campaign has gained momentum as news of the case has spread. It has now brought in more than $15,000 from over 400 contributors, far surpassing its initial goal.

In a recent update following a preliminary hearing, Sovern thanked supporters for helping bring attention to the issue.

“Thank you to those that had the time to show support this week!” he wrote. “We have seen a huge uptick in awareness of the system and this case.”

He also urged supporters to continue advocating against what he called an expanding surveillance network, encouraging people to “reach out to the local governments and demand that these systems are taken down.”

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Case of Air Force Officer Highlights Disturbing Mental Health Diagnosis Manipulation in the U.S. Military

Could this case expose a troubling trend within military mental health care, where diagnoses can be manipulated to justify punitive measures rather than provide needed support?

This potentially unsettling reality is illustrated by the experience of Dacia “Thunder” Sexton, a decorated Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and sexual assault survivor. Sexton’s story was first shared on The Star Chamber Podcast of Walk the Talk Foundation (WtTF) on April 29.

In the episode, it was said that her case “exposes what happens when excellence threatens insecure leaders, frauds get unmasked, and retaliation becomes the response.”

For one year, Sexton received treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), only to have the command-directed processes reshape her diagnosis into a personality disorder, raising serious concerns about the integrity of mental health evaluations in the military.

The Gateway Pundit spoke to Jeremiah “Jay” Bybee, Sexton’s WtTF advisor, about this abhorrent turn of events. The retired Air Force Master Sergeant said, “Her case isn’t just about retaliation; it’s about diagnostic transformation under command pressure.”

Phases of “Thunder’s” Story

Bybee outlined four distinct “phases” of her narrative. The first phase involved a diagnosis of PTSD related to Military Sexual Trauma (MST) in 2022. The second phase saw Sexton’s symptoms continuing and worsening, leading to increased cognitive difficulties, memory loss, hypervigilance, time blindness, and cognitive exhaustion saturation. The third phase included a command-directed assessment that identified Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in 2024. Shortly thereafter, in the fourth phase, all her earlier symptoms were reinterpreted.

“The same symptoms—newly identified Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)—were reframed as maladaptive behavior, uncooperative conduct, and accountability failures,” he explained.

For Sexton, this triggered disciplinary action, career damage, and significant financial harm. For Bybee, “The case raises serious questions about whether medical diagnoses were altered—intentionally or negligently—to justify administrative punishment.”

“One thing is certain: when the diagnosis changed, so did the way Dacia was treated,” he argued. “Medical symptoms became disciplinary evidence, requests for care became noncompliance, and trauma responses became credibility issues.”

The consequences included the dismantling of her career, reputation, and re-traumatization through administrative and disciplinary actions to include:

  • A Letter of Reprimand (LOR)
  • Command surveillance of daily movements
  • Non-Judicial Punishment (NJP)
  • Loss of a $100K+ career bonus
  • Total financial harm exceeding $170K

“Recent medical findings identify multiple previously undiagnosed TBIs,” Bybee pointed out. These include physical TBI linked to a vehicle accident that resulted in loss of consciousness, likely chemical and/or neurological injury tied to assault conditions, and chronic neurocognitive deficits to include memory loss and executive dysfunction. “These directly map to the behaviors used to justify punishment,” he argued.

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USAF Explains Additional F-15EX Buys During Budget Brief

AFP attended the four hours of budget briefings at the Pentagon yesterday as part of the Pentagon Press Corp.

The Department of the Air Force’s Fiscal Year 2027 President’s Budget request marks a fundamental strategic shift. This budget departs from previous practices and makes a conscious effort to prioritize investment in modernization and readiness, recognizing both as essential and non-negotiable. With a total request of $338.8 billion, this 38% increase over the FY26 enacted position is a generational investment designed to supercharge our Defense Industrial Base, sharpen our military readiness, and secure enduring Air and Space superiority.

The budget truly is procurement wish list dream for all of the services, which we will write more about later today.

Part of the procurement buy for fiscal 2027 includes 24 F-15EX aircraft, in a sustained production run to more than 260 airframes.

I question the Air Force officers delivering the briefing about concerns we have heard from retired flag officers about the vulnerability of the F-15EX in a high-threat environment as shown by 4 F-15s being shot down during Operation Epic Fury, by far the aircraft impacted by hostile and friendly fire.

The answer I received was the need primarily in the Pacific of an airframe that can load a large amount of weapons for possibly stand-off offensive fires.

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Death of Air Force whistleblower set to reveal UFO secrets declared ‘suspicious’

A former US Air Force intelligence officer died before he could testify in a whistleblower hearing about UFOs, sparking demands for an FBI investigation.

Matthew James Sullivan was just 39 when he died on May 12, 2024 after reportedly taking his own life. However, his official cause of death has not been made public, nor was the case reported on by local media at the time.

Now, Congressman Eric Burlison of Missouri has told the Daily Mail that Sullivan was preparing to be a key witness for congressional investigators looking into Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, more commonly known as UFOs.

Burlison shared he had ‘grave concerns’ that Sullivan’s death appears ‘suspicious,’ suggesting that the veteran intelligence officer may have been targeted to silence him before revealing knowledge of non-human spacecraft and extraterrestrials. 

‘Look at Matthew Sullivan’s credentials and his experience. He certainly was someone who was read in at the highest classification levels and knew some of our nation’s most important secrets,’ Burlison explained. ‘And so did a lot of these other people.’ 

The congressman explained that an investigation by the Intelligence Community Inspector General uncovered ‘serious allegations of misconduct and potentially unlawful activities’ which pointed to the 39-year-old’s death not being a suicide.

Burlison said: ‘The fact that he had been scheduled by the UAP Task Force. That he had been scheduled to come and speak… After hearing about this tragedy, I felt it was worth looking into.’ 

On Thursday, he made a formal request to FBI Director Kash Patel to have agents investigate Sullivan’s death as a potential crime.

‘The sudden and suspicious circumstances surrounding his death raise significant concerns about potential foul play and the safety of other individuals involved in this matter,’ Burlison wrote in a letter to the FBI shared with the Daily Mail.

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UFO cluster spotted over mysterious base tied to missing Air Force scientist

A massive cluster of unknown flying objects was spotted near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a military installation long rumored to be linked to UFO activity.

Witnesses near the Ohio base captured the craft on April 8, showing a silent triangle of glowing lights moving in perfect formation before splitting apart mid-flight.

The lights appeared to drift slowly downward, flickering, pulsing and changing brightness individually as they hovered in the night sky.

Reports described the sighting as having ‘no sound, no standard navigation lights, movement unlike any known aircraft, drone swarm or satellite.’

The video was reportedly taken from Rainbow Lakes, a 60-acre outdoor recreational retreat in Fairborn, about four miles from the base.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) has drawn renewed attention in recent months, as its research laboratory was previously led by retired Major General William Neil McCasland, who disappeared earlier this year.

McCasland, 68, went missing from his New Mexico home on February 28, reportedly leaving with only hiking boots and a .38-caliber revolver.

He led the Air Force Research Laboratory from May 2011 until his retirement in 2013, a facility long associated in UFO lore with alleged materials recovered after the 1947 Roswell incident.

WPAFB leads development in aerospace technology, advanced materials, sensors, human performance and AI.

The Daily Mail has contacted WPAFB for comment on the video.

The clip has flooded social media, where users are debating whether the lights are extraterrestrials or parachutists with flares.

One user on X claimed the lights were ‘non-human intelligent orbs,’ while another user on Reddit shared: ‘This is exactly what it looks like when parachuters have flares attached as they’re falling.’

‘I agree that is what this looks like. A free-fall team, whether it be military or civilian, gets into their final descent stack after their chutes have already deployed,’ a Redditor shared.

‘My issue with this is that the cloud ceiling is super low. If this is a training jump, this low a ceiling would cause it to get pushed or canceled. 

‘Obviously, it is hard to get an ideal grasp on everything since the video is short and in low light. That said, it looks like we lose visual on the flares intermittently as they pass through the clouds.’

Another Redditor joked, saying, ‘They’re coming for more scientists,’ likely referring to McCasland, who managed the Air Force’s $2.2 billion science and technology program along with additional customer-funded research.

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Application Denied: Another Dive into the Failures of Military Bureaucracy and COVID-19 Mandate Relief

On September 23, 2021, an active-duty Air Force officer who has served for 18 years submitted a request for a religious accommodation for the COVID-19 shot mandate. Four and a half years later, there is still derogatory paperwork in his personnel file, leaving him ineligible or significantly disadvantaged for all career advancement and more.

This story provides an update on developments from September 2025 and March 2026, reinforcing J.M. Phelps’ assertion that the Board of Correction of Military Records (BCMR) is “ineffective” and frequently highlights the widespread “bureaucratic malfeasance” within the military institution, providing little more than a “half measure” to service members, as in the case of Air Force Captain Anthony Monteleone.

Furthermore, concerning Air Force BCMR (AFBCMR), the situation underscores how their decisions are a direct affront to the goals of President Donald Trump and Department of War (DOW) Pete Hegseth to restore the military.

Case in point: On April 3, 2026, AFBCMR issued a “finding” that flatly denied any relief whatsoever to Capt. Monteleone. Given the overwhelming mountain of evidence reviewed by J.M. Phelps and provided to the Board, one can only conclude that the Board continues to undermine the efforts of President Trump and his appointees within the Department of War. This bureaucratic obstruction appears aimed at continuing the denial of mandated relief to those who suffered under the military’s unlawfully enforced COVID-19 shot mandate, which was rescinded in January 2023.

Mr. Richard Anderson, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserves, representing the AFBCMR and operating under the full delegated authority of the Secretary of the Air Force, stated that when it comes to Capt. Monteleone’s case, “the [AFBCMR] determined there was insufficient evidence of error or injustice. Accordingly, your application is denied.”

Sadly, for the author of this article, Mr. Anderson’s statement brings to mind the idiom, “If I had a dollar for every time I heard that.”

The Board’s stated reasoning behind this decision was that, although the entire mandate was ruled unlawful, the guidance from Undersecretary of War for Personnel and Readiness, Anthony Tata, to the branch BCMRs did not specifically state that all [emphasis mine] service members harmed by the entire COVID-19 mandate must be granted relief. Instead, in their interpretation [emphasis mine], his guidance indicates that only those punished for solely refusing the order to take the shot itself were eligible for remediation under the guidance.

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