Some 60 airmen of the 56th Rescue Squadron, assigned to RAF Lakenheath, UK, returned to home station last week after serving back-to-back deployments—first three months in Afghanistan and then six months supporting Operations Odyssey Dawn and Unified Protector. They did manage eight days at home station between the deployments, according to a Sept. 19 release. “In [Operation Enduring Freedom] they conducted med-evac operations in hazardous terrain and under hostile fire, saving the lives of 76 coalition partners,” said Col. John Quintas, 48th Fighter Wing commander at Lakenheath. He continued, “Just one week after returning, before we even had time to unpack, we were asked if we could be ready to conduct combat search and rescue in a completely different theater. Without hesitation, the men and women responded and deployed again within days.” He also praised the unit’s maintainers, who he said were vital to sustaining “a continuous two-ship alert posture with just three aircraft.” And that included the challenges of operating first in blowing dust and then in a salt-water environment—for OD and UP, they operated from the USS Ponce and HMS Ocean. (Lakenheath report by TSgt. Chris Stagner)
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
