The Air Force announced in late November that the 353rd Special Operations Group at Kadena AB, Japan, has earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor for its “exceptionally meritorious service” from Oct. 1, 2006, to Sept. 30, 2008. This is the 10th time that the group, Air Force Special Operations Command’s only unit based in the Pacific, has won the award, and the fourth time the award has come with the “V” device for valor. “This award is a small representation of the tremendous efforts of the air commandos during the past two years,” said Col. David Mullins, 353rd SOG commander. He continued, “The contributions the men and women of the group have made to operations in multiple areas of responsibility truly deserve this recognition.” Among their numerous activities during this period, airmen of the group conducted combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, supported Republic of Philippines security forces in their fight against terrorists, and participated in numerous joint training events. In September, pararescuemen of the group also saved the lives of two injured crewmembers onboard a commercial freighter out at sea about 750 miles from Guam.
Due to the prolonged delay in deliveries of the Tech Refresh 3 version of the F-35 fighter, Denmark is pulling six of its TR-2-configured F-35 jets stationed in the U.S. back to home base in order to consolidate aircraft and get better training for its pilots and maintainers, the Danish…