Officials at Tyndall AFB, Fla., activated the 95th Fighter Squadron, the unit that will operate a complement of 24 combat-ready F-22s from the base, which is already home to the F-22 schoolhouse. “We are charged with the responsibility to project combat air power to wherever it is needed in support of our national military objectives,” said Lt. Col. Erick Gilbert, who now leads the squadron, following the unit’s Oct. 11 stand-up ceremony. The unit is now preparing for the arrival of its F-22s starting in early 2014, according to Tyndall’s Oct. 15 release. In the meantime, it is building up its personnel force to full strength, with an average of 50 to 60 airmen arriving per month, states the release. Tyndall is gaining the combat-coded F-22s as part of the Air Force’s F-22 fleet consolidation. The Florida base is getting its F-22s from Holloman AFB, N.M., which is losing all of its F-22s. When all of Tyndall’s F-22 are in place, the base will have a force of more than 50 F-22s—when factoring the schoolhouse’s training assets—the largest contingent of F-22s at any one location. (Tyndall report by Ashley M. Wright) (See also second Wright report.)
The U.S. continued to move a significant amount of airpower toward the Middle East in recent days as talks to forge a nuclear deal with Iran hung in the balance. Flight tracking data indicate there was unusually heavy movement of dozens of fighter jets and other assets that might be…
