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.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…