Daily Report

Oct. 6, 2008

Stranded But Not Alone

Pinned down soldiers received much-welcome aid from some F-15Es during a firefight in Afghanistan in mid-September. When an improvised explosive device took out their vehicle, some 18 soldiers faced 60 enemy fighters and as Army SSgt. Adam Kern described it,...

Hogs at Risk

The Air Force on Friday announced it would be inspecting some 130 A-10 Warthogs following “an increase in fatigue-related wing cracks.” The action affects A-10s with thin-skin wings assigned to Air Combat Command, Air Force Materiel Command, Pacific Air Forces,...

Rotary SAR in Cahoots

Air Force and Army helicopter forces deployed to Bagram AB, Afghanistan flew their first joint combat search and rescue training mission recently, capping the joint work they have been doing in aeromedical evacuation. The mission required months of planning and...

Live Loads on Russian Bombers, Upping Defense Money

Moscow plans to equip its strategic bombers with full weapons loads during a large-scale exercise dubbed Stability-2008 that begins today and continues through Oct. 12 across Russia and Belarus, according to a report from the RIA Novosti news agency. This...

Green Flag With French Flavor

The latest edition of Green Flag, now a key close air support training exercise, featured USAF F-15E and French Air Force Mirage F1 fighters, working with MQ-9 Reaper, E-8C Joint STARS, and RC-135 Rivet Joint teams. The 63 airmen in...

F-35A Starts Testing at Edwards

The F-35A conventional take-off and landing Joint Strike Fighter dubbed AA-1 landed at Edwards AFB, Calif., on Oct. 1 for a series of tests, including air-start and noise testing. According to prime contractor Lockheed Martin, AA-1 made its 50th flight...

Weapons School Activates Special UAV Unit

The USAF Weapons School at Nellis AFB, Nev., has activated the 26th Flying Training Squadron as the 26th Weapons Squadron, one dedicated to producing elite Predator and Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle pilots and sensor operators. The unit’s first class is...

A Switch of Battlefield Airmen Units

Pacific Air Force’s 13th Air Force has taken over the 1st Air Support Operations Group from Air Combat Command’s 12th Air Force. The formal switch took place Oct. 1 at Ft. Lewis, Wash., the home base for 1st ASOG, which...

Air Sorties from SWA

Air Sorties in War on Terrorism, Southwest AsiaOct. 2, 2008 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 28 15 43 9,915 CAS/Armed Recon 48 52 100 28,188 Airlift 137 137 35,624 Air refueling 47 47 13,923 Total 327 87,650...