The Air Force Reserve reactivated the 489th Bomb Group at Dyess AFB, Texas, on Oct. 17. The group, which includes the 345th Bomb Squadron, the 489th Maintenance Squadron, and the 489th Aerospace Medical Flight, operates under the 307th Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, La. It will provide B-1 training as well as combat support alongside its classic associate, the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess, states a release. Col. Denis Heinz, commander of the 489th BG, said he is happy to be part of the unit’s legacy. “As I read books published by former group members, I was in awe of their ability to fly, fight, and win under such austere conditions,” Heinz said. “I am proud now to be part of a heritage that dates back to the early days of World War II, when the original 489th fought a much different war.”
Active-Duty Airmen only have a few days left to submit an official waist-to-height ratio into the Air Force’s new online application. But the service clarified July 23 that this first body composition measurement is not meant to be scored as part of the new Physical Fitness Readiness Assessment, or PFRA