The 353rd Special Operations Group, stationed on the island of Okinawa at Kadena AB, Japan, sent some 200 airmen to U-Tapao, Thailand, for the 25th running of the Cobra Gold exercise. The USAF airmen provided their particular specialties—airspace control, special tactics, airdrops, jumps, and more—alongside members of the Royal Thai and other nations’ military forces. And, the exercise gave the Okinawa SOG team a chance to practice their crafts in different terrain from mountains to jungles.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…