The Air Force has begun the process of deactivating the 522nd Fighter Squadron, which just returned to Cannon AFB, N.M. from a deployment to Andersen AFB, Guam. It was the last deployment for any element of the 27th Fighter Wing, which wrapped up its tenure at Cannon yesterday. It had already deactivated its two other fighter squadrons. The new base owner Air Force Special Operations Command took over Oct. 1, establishing its 27th Special Operations Wing as host unit. There was a full court press from the New Mexico Congressional delegation.
Air Force exercises in the Indo-Pacific may soon get even bigger and more robust, as lawmakers move to invest more than $620 million in such efforts. The bulk of that money, contained in a $150 billion reconciliation package currently making its way through Congress, is $532.6 million for earmarked for…