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Source: United States Airforce

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —  

Qilin Wu, a Chinese national who returned to Whiteman Air Force Base after being warned not to photograph the installation, was sentenced to six months in federal custody following a case built on a 76-year-old executive order signed by President Harry Truman.

The conviction showed how a Cold War-era legal framework can be used against repeated, unauthorized photography around sensitive military installations, and how Special Agents will investigate similar cases before they develop into something more.

“For our Special Agents, this isn’t about a single case,” said Col. David Bethel, commander of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Region 8. “It’s about recognizing that the operating environment has changed.”

Bethel was referring to a shift from clear-cut threats in overseas environments to more ambiguous activity around military installations inside the United States. In Wu’s case, investigators said the concern was not just his camera, but that he returned after being warned and photographed more than the aircraft.

That conduct ultimately led to an investigation, guilty plea and sentencing. After the hearing, held earlier last month, the court remanded Wu to the U.S. Marshals Service. He was later processed on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer and will be deported to China.

“When someone gathers information around a sensitive military installation, AFOSI has the tools to hold them accountable,” Bethel said.

The encounter began on Dec. 2, 2025, when members of the 509th Security Forces Squadron responded to a report of a suspicious minivan near Whiteman’s perimeter. Wu, who was driving a vehicle with Massachusetts license plates, said he had come to observe the B-2.

“What made this different was the pattern of behavior,” said a senior AFOSI official involved in the investigation. Wu’s return after the warning, along with his focus on the base’s perimeter and infrastructure, heightened concerns.

Wu later admitted to photographing aircraft and installations at other U.S. military bases, including locations in Florida and Virginia.

Section 795 of Title 18, together with Executive Order 10104, prohibits unauthorized photographs, sketches, maps and other visual representations of designated military installations, aircraft, weapons and equipment requiring protection from the general dissemination of information.

AFOSI officials said the law provides authorities with a means to address unauthorized photography involving protected military property. In Wu’s case, investigators focused on his repeated conduct, his return after being warned and the subjects captured in his photographs.

Officials said the case also demonstrates the importance of coordination between installation security forces and federal investigators when suspicious activity is reported near sensitive military facilities.

AFOSI will continue to identify, assess and investigate suspected unauthorized photography around protected installations and equipment, officials said, while evaluating each incident based on its specific facts and circumstances.

For Bethel, the case highlights the agency’s role in protecting the homeland.

“Det. 811’s work delivered strategic deterrence,” he said. “This case reflects AFOSI’s professionalism, integration and operational discipline required to defend our installations in an increasingly complex threat environment.”

Note: Some AFOSI personnel and mission partners are not identified by name in this article to protect operational security, personal privacy and ongoing mission readiness.

Source: United States Airforce

Orlando, Fla. (AFNS) —  

Under Secretary of the Air Force Matt Lohmeier implored Airmen to pursue continuous personal growth, authentic leadership and intentional intellectual development during a keynote address at the Air Force Sergeants Association Professional Airmen’s Conference.

Lohmeier turned directly to the leader he would later share the stage with for a question-and-answer session: Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David R. Wolfe. As he centered his remarks on the third edition of Wolfe’s “Why Series” essay on deliberate learning, integrating his own thoughts to illustrate why the Chief’s message resonated deeply with him.

Reading Wolfe’s words aloud to the crowded forum, Lohmeier highlighted a central premise that he believes defines modern military readiness.

“The most decisive advantage is no longer just physical or technological; it’s cognitive,” Lohmeier said, quoting Wolfe’s text. “For members of the United States Air Force, the mind isn’t simply a supporting asset; it’s a primary weapon system, and like any weapon system, it must be deliberately developed, maintained, and strengthened.”

While acknowledging the military’s ongoing efforts to train and adapt to artificial intelligence, Lohmeier put a finer, more human point on the cognitive domain.

“AI will soon do things that even some of our best minds cannot,” Lohmeier said. “But your minds, your values, and your psyche should be capable of doing things that AI will never accomplish. If we fail to do that, then we are failing as an Air Force, as an institution, and as human beings.”

Lohmeier’s insights are informed by his routine of breaking bread with frontline Airmen during installation visits. Meeting small groups of junior enlisted members for a lunch or breakfast session allows him to use those forums to gather feedback to carry back to the senior leadership team in the Pentagon.

“Overwhelmingly, I have received positive feedback from our youngest Airmen about the NCOs that they work with, our senior NCOs, and their chain of command,” Lohmeier shared. “One of the things I’ve learned in my time meeting with these Airmen is that they resonate with authentic leadership. They crave authenticity in the workplace. When they get it, they respond appropriately, and they’ll give you everything that they have to solve the tough challenges we’re facing.”

To illustrate what it means to lead authentically and from the front, Lohmeier—a former fighter pilot and Space Force officer—shared a lighthearted but pointed anecdote from a recent physical training session with student pilots at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma.

After a PT session, Lohmeier challenged the attendees to face him in a pull-up competition. Knowing he was facing a younger, more fit Airman, Lohmeier humorously admitted that he turned to “psychological warfare.” He insisted they both jump onto the bar at the same time, allowing Lohmeier to control the pacing.

In Lohmeier’s recounting of the challenge, he described inserting long, agonizing pauses in the hang position and asking his competitor mid-pull-up if he could perform behind-the-neck variations to break his opponent’s focus. His opponent dropped off the bar just one repetition shy of the Under Secretary.

“I share that to say that I think they’re inspired by your examples,” Lohmeier told the conference attendees. “Our Airmen do best when they’re led by NCOs and senior NCOs who are out leading in the front. You need to hold them accountable to the standards that we’ve set. It has to do with leaders and how they lead, serve, and set an example.”

Reading as an act of service

A self-described avid reader, Lohmeier joked that younger Airmen are “big video gamers, but they’re not big readers.” He challenged the audience to reframe reading from a passive, box-checking activity into a critical component of combat readiness and moral character.

He argued that intellectual discipline is directly tied to the Air Force’s first core value: Integrity First.

“Without this disciplined effort to read deeply, it’s not entirely possible to become the most authentic version of yourself,” Lohmeier explained. “If you’ve not accomplished the work that is necessary to fully develop yourself and fully discover and ground yourself in the values that define you, how can you ever truly have integrity? Rigorous study isn’t just about intellectual stimulation; it’s about values, about character development, and about pursuing the best version of yourself as you lean forward and serve others.”

Lohmeier emphasized that this intellectual preparation is the foundation of military resilience, providing the mental clarity required to withstand disinformation campaigns from adversaries who seek to exploit fear, anger, and historical ignorance.

“As leaders, our job is to foster a culture that values and makes room for continuous learning,” Lohmeier said. “Organizations that encourage Airmen to invest in their cognitive readiness create a force that is agile, innovative, and prepared—transforming learning from an individual effort into shared strength.”

Following his prepared remarks, Lohmeier was joined on stage by Wolfe for a fireside chat, during which, Wolfe tacked onto the theme of reading, officially announcing the release of his latest reading list, the CMSAF Leadership Library: August 2026.

Lohmeier closed his remarks by giving the conferencegoers a reminder of their influence on the future of the force.

“You are the beating heart of the Air Force,” Lohmeier said. “If I questioned it before this job—and I really didn’t, because I was a squadron commander once too, I truly do believe that you are the beating heart. Your leadership is important, and your personal development is absolutely important as we try and shape the minds and hearts of those that you lead and serve.”