Airmen 
and strike aircraft from several Air Force squadrons across the United States are gathered at Hill AFB, Utah, for several weeks to practice employing air-to-ground and air-to-air weapons at the Utah Test and Training Range. Participating are the 354th Fighter Squadron, an A-10 unit at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.; the 96th Bomb Squadron, a B-52 unit at Barksdale AFB, La.; the 391st FS, an F-15E unit at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; and the 79th FS, an F-16 unit at Shaw AFB, S.C. One week of Combat Hammer air-to-ground drills are first on the agenda, followed by one week of Combat Archer air-to-air evaluations. The final week entails combined air and ground drills. The 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron at Eglin AFB, Fla., manages these activities. For many aircrews, these events represent the first time that they employ live weapons. (Eglin release)
Gene Smith, Former POW and AFA Chair, Dies at 91
Jan. 19, 2026
Lt. Col. Richard “Gene” Smith, who overcame five and a half years as a prisoner of war in the notorious Hanoi Hilton from 1967 until 1973, died Jan. 16. He was one day short of his 91st birthday.
