Four 
firefighters with the Illinois Air National Guard’s 183rd Fighter Wing in Springfield last week responded to a civilian airplane crash at the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport, the wing’s home location. “They responded under the minimum time required by the Federal Aviation Administration and did a terrific job extinguishing the fire, securing the aircraft, and providing aid to those on board,” said Lt. Col. Chuck Coderko, the wing’s fire marshal. The aircraft came to rest off the runaway in the grass during the Jan. 6 incident. Two of the six persons on board were injured. When the 183rd FW relinquished its F-16 flying mission in 2008, it retained nearly 20 full-time firefighter positions. These Air Guardsmen serve as first responders at the airport and support local fire departments. That said, last we heard, the wing is scheduled to lose the firefighters in September. (Springfield report)
The U.S. continued to move a significant amount of airpower toward the Middle East in recent days as talks to forge a nuclear deal with Iran hung in the balance. Flight tracking data indicate there was unusually heavy movement of dozens of fighter jets and other assets that might be…
