The F-16 pilots of the 23rd Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem AB, Germany, will be wrapping up their NATO deployment to secure the airspace over Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in December. (DR, 10/13/05) During their 90-day tour, the 23rd’s aircraft and aircrews stood 24-hour alerts, patrolling more than 97,000 miles of airspace and keeping track of airborne threats. For the squadron’s maintainers that meant changing standard procedures. “A lot of the pins and covers we would normally keep in place until moments before takeoff are already removed,” said MSgt. Tracy Hath, a maintenance supervisor from Spangdahlem. “It forces our alert crew chiefs to be on their toes.”
The Air Force has erected an inert version of its LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., the service announced Sept. 14. Officials also confirmed at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber conference that they still expect to finish restructuring the long-troubled Sentinel program by the end…
