The E-8C JSTARS on Thursday reached 100,000 post-9/11 combat flight hours during a mission out of Al Udeid AB, Qatar, according to a May 1 release. The milestone “represents more than a decade of sacrifice and service by our men and women,” said Col. Kevin Clotfelter, commander of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 116th Air Control Wing at Robins AFB, Ga. “We know this marker was reached because of the sacrifice and support of our families, communities, and mission partners.” Members of the 116th ACW, Active Duty personnel from the 461st ACW, and the Army’s JSTARS 138th Military Intelligence Company, reached the milestone by providing direct support to DOD’s combatant commands. “The significant team JSTARS milestone is a clear indication of the platform’s importance and value across the entire Department of Defense,” said Lt. Col. Todd Morgan, 138th Military Intelligence Company commander. “The interoperability of Army and Air Force personnel working in concert onboard the E-8C has enabled the platform to provide critical and timely ISR to maneuver commanders during direct combat operations.”
U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagles have roared out of Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., for the last time. The 104th Fighter Wing’s last three F-15Cs departed the base Oct. 23 for the “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., ending the aircraft's era on the frontlines of homeland defense.
