The enlisted force of US Air Forces in Europe inducted Gen. Tom Hobbins into the Order of the Sword on Nov. 18. SMSgt. Kelly Mazezka reports that CMSgt. Gary Coleman, USAF command chief, said Hobbins “has been a devoted advocate of the enlisted force in his command,” including spurring creation of the “first of its kind Enlisted Heritage Room honoring the blood, sweat, and tears of the enlisted airmen spanning this command’s great history.” Hobbins remarked, “We’ve been and continue to be airmen of substance. … Just knowing I could count on the excellence of [my airmen’s] work meant more to me than anything.”
The B-52H Stratofortress that crashed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on June 15 was helping test a new advanced radar that is key to a sweeping modernization of the six-decade old bomber.