Air Force Reserve Command’s 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick AFB, Fla., sent two HC-130 Combat King search and rescue aircraft to cover coalition forces operating in the Horn of Africa. At the vertex of piracy, terrorism, humanitarian, and stability operations, “the Horn is a busy place and our airmen’s presence is essential to creating and maintaining a stable, secure environment,” said 920th Operations Group Commander Col. Mark Blalock. Approximately 60 aircrew, maintenance, and support personnel departed in two waves starting on Jan. 25. Supporting Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa is “something we’ve been a part of for a very long time, that we’re very proud of,” added Col. Robert Ament, 920th RQW vice commander. He added, “right now we have two-thirds of our wing’s airmen deployed” to Afghanistan. The multi-national CJTF-HOA’s area of responsibility covers Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Seychelles, Somalia, and Sudan. (Patrick report by Capt. Cathleen Snow)
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.