The first Commando Sling of the new fiscal year has wrapped. Participating were some 80 airmen from the 14th Fighter Squadron, Misawa AB, Japan. The unit’s F-16s flew with and against Singapore Air Force F-5s. The Misawa airmen felt comfortable with their Singapore counterparts because “they think like we do,” having received much of their training in the US, said Lt. Col. John Pearse, 14th FS commander. However, he asserted it was “very good threat replication” because his F-16 force rarely gets to train against smaller aircraft.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
