Pacific Air Forces Gen. Howie Chandler told the audience at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium Thursday that the investment in military construction on the island is progressing rapidly, and Andersen Air Force Base has finished rebuilding one of its runways and is getting ready to rebuild a second to support continued bomber rotations and fighter packages. The planned Global Hawk bed down is also attracting a lot of interest, and allied participation in PACAF’s “capabilities forums” has been very robust, Chandler added. At the same time, the island is anticipating the arrival of 8,000 Marines from Okinawa, which will require some balancing of infrastructure projects as Andersen moves forward with implementing its joint basing initiative.
Members of the Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing helped save 11 airplane crash survivors off the coast of Florida on May 12. The Reserve Airmen were flying an HC-130J Combat King II and an HH-60W Jolly Green II on a routine training flight when a Coast Guard call diverted…