An Air Force civil engineer rescue air mobility squad (RAMS) at Ali Base, Iraq, had trained twice to work with the Army UH-60 Black Hawk aeromedical evacuation unit when they got a real-world call: Two trucks had collided head-on and one driver was trapped. The RAMS team picked up their 200 pounds of extrication gear and their “battle rattle”—weapons and ammunition—and headed for a Black Hawk. It took all their tools and nearly two hours to free the driver, then the Army took over to treat and transport. The Air Force RAMS—14 airmen—at Ali Base cover all of southern Iraq.
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…