Lt. Col. Dan Swayne surpassed 4,000 flight hours in the cockpit of the F-16 on Jan. 14 during a training mission. The feat makes the 42-year-old Swayne, deputy chief of standardization and evaluation for 9th Air Force at Shaw AFB, S.C., only the second Air Force active duty Viper pilot and 23rd F-16 pilot in the world to reach this milestone. “It reinforces I’m blessed with health, have a supportive family, and fly a great plane,” Swayne said of his achievement. He began flying the F-16 after completing undergraduate pilot training in 1988. He reached the 3,000-hour milestone six years ago. (USAF report by Capt. Amy Hutchisson)
Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich assumed command of U.S. European Command on July 1, taking over the key assignment as the U.S. and its allies contend with a resurgent Russia and a grinding war in Ukraine.
