Members of the 19th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, in recent days took possession of the 2009 Raytheon Trophy that recognizes the Air Force’s best air-to-air fighter squadron. This is the second time since 2000 that the F-15 unit has won the award. According to Elmendorf officials, the squadron “maintained the highest-level alert in Alaska” and received an “outstanding” grade in its last operational readiness inspection. Pacific Air Forces officials announced back in April that the unit had won the trophy. It was handed over on June 4. The 19th FS is one of the units set for decommissioning later this year as part of the Air Force’s legacy fighter drawdown. (Elmendorf photo caption by SrA. Cynthia Spalding)
An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing crashed during a training mission in Michigan on Sept. 17. The fighter's sole pilot ejected and is in stable condition at a local hospital.
