The head of the Nevada Air National Guard, Brig. Gen. Robert Fitch, calls his civilian-life employer, “extremely gracious” when it comes to extending him leave for military duties, even weeks of overseas travel. Gerry Gilmore reports that Fitch’s nomination of Sierra Pacific Resources earned the company one of the 15 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Awards that will be given out this year. The company’s president and chief executive officer, Michael Yackire, said such support for Guardsmen is “the right thing to do.”
An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing crashed during a training mission in Michigan on Sept. 17. The fighter's sole pilot ejected and is in stable condition at a local hospital.
