With little fanfare, five F-22s of the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, returned home on Aug. 8 from an almost three-week deployment to Andersen Air Force Base on Guam for training. Capt. Candice Miller, spokeswoman for the unit, yesterday confirmed the return date of the Raptors. She told the Daily Report that the F-22s had flown a total of approximately 50 sorties, as part of the 13th Air Force-sponsored Jungle Shield air defense exercise. The Raptors also dropped 20 100-pound joint direct attack munitions, she said. Lt. Col. Michael Shower, commander of the 90th FS, told the Daily Report via Miller that the deployment demonstrated the unit’s ability “to deploy and employ F-22s” in the Pacific Air Forces area of responsibility from Elmendorf, “employ live ordnance,” and integrate with B-52 and F-15E units also participating in the exercise.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.