The Air Force this month selected the small Northern Mariana Island of Tinian as a divert location for aircraft in the Pacific that need to land. The Dec. 7 selection of Tinian International Airport followed an environmental impact statement to determine the best location to both support training exercises and to increase regional humanitarian assistance capabilities, according to a Pacific Air Forces release. Tinian was selected over other locations including Saipan International Airport, Saipan; Rota International Airport, Rota; and Guam International Airport, Guam. Tinian’s airport will now be built up to support cargo, tanker, and other similar aircraft, the release states.
A half-dozen pilots from one of the Air Force’s premier F-16 units, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., have been awarded one of the service’s highest decorations for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.