Tomorrow, the first Air Force Week of 2009 kicks off in Hampton Roads, Va., near Langley Air Force Base. It runs through April 26th. Air Force Weeks began in 2006 to celebrate the service and its people, get the word out on the work of airmen and the tools they use, and connect more closely with local communities. The Hampton Road festivities include a four-day Air Force exposition, ceremonies honoring veterans and employer support of the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, a joint airpower demonstration with flyovers, a senior leadership discussion on the future of air, space and cyber power, and the two-day Airpower over Hampton Roads air show at Langley. (Full schedule) The second Air Force Week of 2009 will take place in Salt Lake City at the start of June, and this year’s third and final Air Force Week will be held in Sacramento, Calif., in early September.
The U.S. military is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East to step up its war with Iran, adding to what is already the largest buildup of airpower in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For now, the operation shows little sign of coming to a quick…