Officials at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, say they have drilled 302 airmen in basic combat skills, preparing them for deployment in Air and Space Expeditionary Forces (AEF) 9 and 10. The Air Force now expects all airmen deploying in AEFs to get rudimentary—about 19 hours worth—of training in convoy operations, rifle fighting, and dealing with improvised explosive devices.
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.
