The Arizona Air National Guard launched its first stateside MQ-1 Predator sortie last week from Fort Huachuca, Ariz. The sortie was enabled by the stand up of the unit’s new Launch and Recovery Element, according to a unit release. “The LRE completion is a product of more than six years of planning and preparation, and the first flight of an Arizona MQ-1 … was a great milestone for our wing,” said 162nd Wing Commander Col. Phil Purcell. The wing’s 214th Reconnaissance Group began flying remote RPA combat missions in theatre from Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., eight years ago. The new LRE will now take on a crew-training role to “prepare airmen from across the country to operate and maintain our nation’s RPA assets, and as one of only five ANG LREs in the country, Arizona remains at the forefront of readiness for any federal or state requirement,” Purcell added. The unit has logged more than 70,000 combat flying hours to date, and is still awaiting the completion of hangars and support facilities next year.
In his final keynote address before retiring as Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force, Roger A. Towberman reflected on the progress of the Space Force and the growth still ahead at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Sept. 12, 2023. Watch the video or read the transcript.