Maj. Sam Tucker, grandson of a World War II-era B-17 navigator, recently compiled 1,000 combat flying hours in the backseat of an F-15E Strike Eagle during a sortie over Afghanistan. Tucker, who is a Weapons Systems Officer deployed from the 334th Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C., to Bagram AB, Afghanistan, has some 2,300 total flying hours in the Strike Eagle. He has deployed to Southwest Asia five times since operations began there in 2001, and he flew during Operation Southern Watch over Iraq. Lt. Col. Eric Trychon, 455th Expeditionary Operations Group deputy commander, said that reaching 1,000 combat hours is “a major career milestone and even a rarer milestone for those in the F-15E community.” (Bagram report by TSgt. John Jung)
President Donald Trump signed legislation reopening the federal government late Nov. 12, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The move sets the stage for tens of thousands of defense civilians to return to work and guarantees troops will be paid in a few days’ time.
