The 109th Airlift Wing from Stratton ANGB, N.Y., the sole operator of ski-equipped LC-130 transports in the US military, has won the prestigious National Guard Association of the United States’ Spaatz Trophy for being the overall outstanding flying unit in the Air National Guard in 2007. Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley, ANG director, presented Col. Anthony German, 109th AW commander, the trophy during the NGAUS award ceremony Sept. 22 in Baltimore, Md. “I am proud of our airmen for continuing to excel in the performance of their duties,” said German in a wing release Sept. 30. Throughout 2007, the wing deployed a total of 684 personnel who served more than 19,300 days to support missions in Southwest Asia, in the US, and in the Antarctic region where it provided airlift and airdrop support to US scientists on the barren continent. In 2007, the wing also stood up its first combat capability since the Vietnam War in order to fill a short-notice tasking to deploy two aircraft, four aircrews, and associated maintenance and support personnel to support Operation Enduring Freedom. (The trophy is named after retired Gen. Carl Spaatz, the first Chief of Staff, who died in 1974.)
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…
