The Virginia Air National Guard’s 192nd Fighter Wing has just seen its last F-16 depart the unit’s home base at Sandston. It’s a sight that’s been coming for two years since BRAC 2005 decreed that the 192nd FW would move to Langley Air Force Base in Hampton and fly F-22s as an associate unit to the 1st Fighter Wing, but the Times-Dispatch reports that hundreds of people were on hand to see the last Viper off. The Air Guard unit expects to complete the transition to Langley by March 2008.
Seven F-22 Raptor pilots have recently been awarded one of the military’s highest decorations for their actions during operations in the Middle East. Six of the pilots were decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.