A four-man team from Holloman AFB, N.M., deployed to Manas AB, Kyrgyzstan, to help the Army pack up Force Provider assets—more than 500,000 tons of bare base gear—for reserve storage in Southwest Asia or shipment back to the States for reconditioning. The airmen of the 49th Materiel Maintenance Squadron ready the equipment first by cleaning it, coding its condition, making repairs, and gathering it into sets. Without their work, Army officials said the process would have taken up to 12 months and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in contract labor. MSgt. David Lott, the team chief, said the 49th is the only squadron left in the Air Force that performs this type work.
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.
