Looking Forward to Raptors

Looking Forward to Raptors: The Hawaii Air National Guard's 199th Fighter Squadron still expects to receive its first two of 20 new F-22 Raptors beginning in June 2010 and plans to send off the last of its F-15s in September 2010, reports the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The 199th FS will share operation and maintenance duties with the active duty 531st FS at Hickam Air Force Base, but it will be the first—and so far only—F-22 force led by the Air Guard. The airmen of the two units have eyeballed the F-22s that stopped over at Hickam this week on their return from stints in the Pacific—a force from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, to Guam and one from Langley AFB, Va., to Okinawa. In a report by the Honolulu Advertiser, SSgt. Robert Rabacal, an Air Guard F-15 crew chief, said of the 199th's elderly F-15s, "We've tried to keep a lot of pride in them, keeping the aircraft flying as much as possible." He added the airmen would do the same with the F-22s, saying, "There's a lot of pride invested when the Hawaii Air National Guard has those jets."

4/23/2009

Verbatim

Appreciative Host
"I know you're here during a difficult time. You're here through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. I promise you, we will find turkeys."
—Republic of Lithuania Chief of Defence Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius, expressing his thanks to airmen of the 493rd Fighter Squadron from RAF Lakenheath, Britain, who on Sept. 1, 2010, began a four-month stint with their F-15s in Lithuania to protect the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania under NATO's Baltic air policing mission.

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Family Momentum
"In many ways, this was what the Year of the Air Force Family was all about—connecting airmen and their families with the resources they need. I have confidence the Air Force will capitalize on this strong momentum in the years ahead by continuing to improve our family support programs and ensuring people know what resources are available."
—Suzie Schwartz, wife of USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, commenting on the accomplishments of the Year of the Air Force Family initiative that concluded in July, in a statement provided to the Daily Report, Aug. 22, 2010.