For the first time ever, an Air Force Materiel Command unit deployed to participate in a Red Flag combat training exercise at Nellis AFB, Nev., earlier this year. The 416th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, Calif., sent personnel and five of its F-16 test aircraft to Red Flag 09-2, which took place Jan. 26 to Feb. 6. The F-16s were equipped with the aircraft’s newest software build, M5.1+, enabling the Edwards testers were able to assess in 54 sorties in realistic scenarios and in the presence of other air assets like the B-2, F-22, and MQ-1. “Red Flag allowed us to provide the most thorough, integrated evaluation of an F-16 software release in the 30-year history of the combined test force,” said Lt. Col. Todd Ericson, commander of the 416th FLTS. Ericson said the squadron’s participation saved taxpayers about $100,000 that otherwise would have had to be spent to reserve dedicated range time somewhere else for similar testing. Plus, some of the activities in which the F-16s participated cannot be duplicated at Edwards. (Edwards report by SrA. Julius Delos Reyes)
How Miss America 2024 Took the Air Force Somewhere New
Dec. 20, 2024
When 2nd Lt. Madison Marsh became the first ever active service member crowned Miss America on Jan. 14, top Air Force officials recognized a rare opportunity to reach women and girls who otherwise might not consider military service as an option.