May 17 and May 18 were memorable days for the Air National Guard’s 192nd Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, Va., and the unit’s seamless integration with Langley’s active duty 1st FW in the operation of the base’s 40 F-22 fighters. On these days, members of the Guard wing were in the majority for the first time ever when they generated F-22 sorties together with their 1st FW colleagues. The 192nd FW, which previously flew F-16s out of Sandston, Va., activated in October 2007 at Langley to augment the 1st FW. It now has more than 20 pilots trained to fly the F-22 and has an increasing number of full-time and traditional guardsmen working alongside 1st FW personnel. (Langley report by SSgt. Samuel Rogers)
Since President Donald Trump first unveiled his “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative in late January, much of the focus for it has been focused on space—how the Pentagon may deploy dozens, if not hundreds, of sensors and interceptors into orbit to protect the continental U.S. from missile barrages. But the Air…