Gen. Tom Hobbins, US Air Forces in Europe commander, just visited Fighter Wing Skrydstrup, Denmark, to present 35 Danish F-16 pilots with US Air Medals for their year of support in Operation Enduring Freedom. The four-star general thanked the pilots—NATO allies—for their commitment. They’ve flown nearly 900 mission hours over Afghanistan during a 12-month deployment. The Danish fighter pilots were part of the 376th Air Expeditionary Operations Group, of Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan. To qualify for the medals, they had to fly a minimum of 15 hours in a hostile combat zone.
U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagles have roared out of Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., for the last time. The 104th Fighter Wing’s last three F-15Cs departed the base Oct. 23 for the “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., ending the aircraft's era on the frontlines of homeland defense.
