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)
In a nighttime ceremony contrived to continue concealment of many of its features, the new B-21 bomber rolled out of Northrop Grumman's Palmdale, Calif. plant Dec. 2. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the aircraft's advanced technology represents "deterrence, the American way."