At Fairchild AFB, Wash., all airmen shipping out for deployment in 2006 will undergo a combat skills training course that lasts four days—much more than the basic Air Force requirement of 19 hours, says Fairchild officials. Everyone—from airman to colonel—will get this training if they are deploying to Afghanistan or Iraq. And, officials say, the Air Force may extend the training to all airmen. “All airmen have a role in the defense of the base, themselves, and others,” states Maj. Philip Holmes, 92nd Security Forces Squadron commander at Fairchild.
KC-46’s Refueling Boom Damaged While Refueling F-22s
July 8, 2025
A U.S. Air Force KC-46 tanker suffered damage to its boom while refueling F-22 Raptors off the coast of Virginia on July 8, Air & Space Forces Magazine has confirmed, with reported radio communication from the crew indicating the boom “detached.”