The avionics maintenance airmen supporting F-15E operations being flown out of Bagram AB, Afghanistan, had to work out a new process to get the aircraft equipment needing servicing from Bagram to an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia where the airmen from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, work in a temperature controlled building, reports SSgt. Jasmine Reif. Bagram has no such facility, so the aircraft components—flight control computers, radar, and electronic countermeasures—have to be airlifted from Bagram and back again. Many of the components are classified and are shipped on USAF C-17s or C-130s, while others can go by commercial air. “We are the first [Air Expeditionary Force] rotation to try it, so we had to work out a few bugs,” says MSgt. Gardiner, 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron Avionics flight chief.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
