Members of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 116th Air Control Wing and the state’s Army Guard earlier this month combined their respective annual water survival training and extractions training in a first-time joint effort at Lake Tobesofkee in Macon, according to a wing release. An Atlanta-based Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter plucked Air Guardsmen from the water during the Aug. 4 training as the helicopter was en route to Fort Stewart, Ga., states the Aug. 8 release. During each iteration, the Army helicopter crew provided a safety briefing to the airmen, practiced crew interaction, operated the helicopter’s hoist, and flew the airmen to the side of the lake. The airmen were from the wing’s 128th Airborne Command and Control Squadron at Robins Air Force Base. They are part of the force that operates the Air Force’s fleet of E-8C JSTARS ground-surveillance aircraft. Officials with the squadron said the joint training was successful and the wing would look at ways to develop a formal course that incorporates it.
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…
