A Thousand Hours in Combat:

F-16 pilot Lt. Col. Andy Uribe has flown at least 1,000 hours in combat, hitting that number—the most for any current USAF fighter pilot—on Feb. 16 in a mission over Iraq. Uribe, who is deployed from Tyndall AFB, Fla., as deputy commander of the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group at Balad AB, Iraq, also is expected to reach a total of 3,000 flying hours in Vipers by the end of the month. According to Uribe, reaching the thousand-hour mark “just kind of happened.” He added, “I didn’t know it was going to happen until just recently.” This is his eighth deployment to Southwest Asia, including Operations Northern and Southern Watch, and he flew combat missions in the Balkans. (Balad report by SSgt. Mareshah Haynes)