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)
Matthew Lohmeier, who was fired from a Space Force squadron command just two years ago, took another step in his unlikely journey to the Department of the Air Force's No. 2 job May 1, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee that his background as an Air Force F-15C pilot…