Air Force Space Command’s 76th Helicopter Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, Calif., has been working with US Northern Command’s Joint Task Force-North in its effort to seize approximately $294 billion worth of marijuana. The NORTHCOM-run JTF-N, operating out of Ft. Bliss, Tex., comprises active duty, reserve, DOD civilian, and contract personnel who support federal law enforcement agencies in the interdiction of “transnational threats,” including terrorism, illegal alien smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and smuggling weapons of mass destruction. The task force covers operations within and along approaches to the US. The 76th HS used its UH-1Ns to identify marijuana fields grown in remote areas of California’s Central Coast.
Air Force F-16s from Germany Deploy to Middle East
Oct. 27, 2024
As tensions spiral in the Middle East, U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons from Germany have flown to the region, U.S. Central Command said Oct. 25. The F-16s are from the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and represent some of the service’s most advanced models.