US Air Force C-130 and Singapore Air Force CH-47 airlift crews participating in the current Red Flag at Nellis AFB, Nev., brought their list of training requirements to the traditional fighter shootout, each checking off an item when they airdropped USAF airmen and other military members over Lake Mead in Nevada. Many of the jumpers—predominantly from USAF rescue, combat controller, and RED HORSE units—used the occasion to update their jump currencies. A USAF release noted that the SAF helicopter pilots are undergoing upgrade training with a Texas Air National Guard unit.
The incoming head of the 7th Air Force will face an intense mission while relying on fourth-generation fighters to stave off looming threats from North Korea and China.