The 187th Fighter Wing of the Alabama Air National Guard is teaching members of the Romanian air force the ways of F-16 maintenance. Fifteen maintainers from Romania are at Montgomery Regional ANGB, Ala., this month for maintenance training, part of the state’s partnership with the country. “We get trained on how to fix jets and how to follow the procedures,” Romanian air force Maj. Constantin Pecete said in an Air National Guard release. Romania first acquired F-16s in 2014, and has partnered closely with the Alabama Air National Guard in joint exercises and training since. (See also: The Guard Partnerships from the October 2014 issue of Air Force Magazine.)
The U.S. military is sending more fighter jets to the Middle East to step up its war with Iran, adding to what is already the largest buildup of airpower in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For now, the operation shows little sign of coming to a quick…