More than 300 Active Duty and Reserve airmen—“the final, largest wave of personnel”— returned to Whiteman AFB, Mo., after a seven-month deployment to Bagram, Afghanistan, this week, according to a release. The group accumulated over 9,600 flying hours during 2,500 missions, which “supported more than 400 requests for assistance from troops in combat, expending more than 50,000 rounds and 57,000 pounds of munitions spent,” states the Oct. 27 release. “They did a great job and they’re the reason we flew successfully,” said Lt. Col. Bryan Stone, deployed commander of the 442nd Fighter Wing’s A-10 squadron. “It’s been a long seven months. I’m proud to bring them home.”
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.