Word among Air National Guard airmen at Lambert Field, in St. Louis is that the 131st Fighter Wing will be heading to Israel soon to exercise its F-15s with the Israeli Air Force. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports on the rumored exercise, cautioning that there is no official word on any planned deployment. A US European Command spokesman tells the paper that exercises between the two countries (initiated under President Ronald Reagan) are designed to “increase interoperability and understanding.”
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
