The Massachusetts Air National Guardsmen of the 102nd Fighter Wing flew their final F-15 mission last week and now will become the 102nd Intelligence Wing, courtesy of BRAC 2005. A ceremonial alert sortie sent two F-15s aloft, witnessed by wing members and various friends and local government officials and putting an end to 35 years of alert duty covering the northeast airspace. According to Col. Anthony Schiavi, wing commander, who piloted one of the two Eagles, “in just a few short months” the 102nd Air Guardsmen will “begin a different kind of ‘watch’ as we embark on a new 24/7 mission. The 102nd IW will operate one of USAF’s Distributed Ground Stations, and the service has said it plans to create an air operations center there as well. (NGB report by MSgt. Bob Haskell)
Army Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, warned that Russia would remain an enduring threat to NATO and global security, regardless of the outcome of the war in Ukraine.