The Raptor Maintenance Training Facility at Sheppard AFB, Tex., has taken in its first class of novice F-22A Raptor crew chiefs. The first class comprises seven new enlistees and one Air National Guardsman cross-training into the program. Construction for the $21 million state-of-the-art facility began in 2005 and concluded with its formal opening last fall. Col. Steven Morani, 82nd Training Group commander, says the new facility “is the model for the future of training in the Air Force.” It consolidates all Raptor maintenance training, such as crew chief, avionics, munitions, and fuels, in one airframe-specific facility. (Sheppard report by A1CV Jacob Corbin)
As Hurricane Melissa hammers the Caribbean, the U.S. Air Force’s “Hurricane Hunters” are busy flying into the massive Category 4 storm to collect atmospheric data—with one experiencing greater than expected turbulence Oct. 28.
