Welcome Mat Out for USAF Training: 
Believe it or not, a ranch owner in New Mexico has opened a portion of his land for the 58th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M., to use as an area for MC-130P Combat Shadow and helicopter rescue and special ops training. The Valencia County News Bulletin reports that the area near Meadow Lake was once owned by the Bureau of Land Management and used by the wing for training. BLM sold the land and the 58th held its training within the confines of Kirtland—that has presented some safety concerns, according to wing officials. The wing is leasing two areas, a C-130 drop zone and a helicopter landing zone.
U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagles have roared out of Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., for the last time. The 104th Fighter Wing’s last three F-15Cs departed the base Oct. 23 for the “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., ending the aircraft's era on the frontlines of homeland defense.
