California has dispatched 30 of its Air National Guardsmen, along with 30 civilian emergency medical specialists, to Ukraine for a week to participate in disaster response drills with more than 200 military and civilian counterparts from four Caucasus nations. In “Rough and Ready 2006,” the Californians are working side by side with teams from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and host country Ukraine, responding to simulated terrorist strikes on an oil pipeline, a railway, and a shopping mall. It is the fourth such international exercise for the participants, held under the auspices of California’s State Partnership Program with Ukraine.
Earlier this spring, the 388th Fighter Wing proved just 12 Airmen can operate an F-35 contingency location, refueling and rearming the fighters at spots across Georgia and South Carolina. The demonstration, part of exercise Agile Flag 23-1, marks yet another proof of concept for the Air Force’s plan to send…