A dozen F-16s from the 169th Fighter Wing at McEntire JNGB, S.C., will deploy to Osan AB, South Korea, later this month. The fighter jets and approximately 300 airmen from the 169th FW will make up the latest Pacific theater security package when they depart mid-July, according to a release. The 169th FW follows the 12 F-16s and 300 airmen from the 148th Fighter Wing from Duluth ANGB, Minn., that deployed to Osan in April. The service has deployed TSPs to the region regularly since 2004 as part of US Pacific Command’s force posture, according to the release. Last May, the 169th FW deployed to Poland in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
The Air Force is on track to reach its annual goal of graduating 1,500 new pilots that had proved elusive to this point, one year after the service launched a sweeping overhaul of its undergraduate pilot training program, Air Education and Training Command said Sept. 14.
