Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, home to aircraft including the C-17 and F-22, on Sept. 1 became the first Air Force base in the Pacific Rim to blend a thermally stable additive known as Plus 100 to its JP-8 aviation fuel. The additive is said to prevent engine coking and carbon buildup. Preventing these is expected to greatly reduce engine maintenance. (Elmendorf report by A1C Christopher Gross)
A half-dozen pilots from one of the Air Force’s premier F-16 units, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., have been awarded one of the service’s highest decorations for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.