Air Force F-16s and A-10s flew close air support to cover the rescue of an Army aircrew after its AH-64 Apache attack helicopter crashed in northern Afghanistan. The downed crew’s wingmen relayed a distress call through a nearby KC-135 tanker to an E-3 AWACS that broke off to assist in coordinating the recovery. “We knew the guys on the ground were going to need armed overwatch, so we called in the F-16s,” said Maj. Paul Lankes, AWACS mission crew boss during the Dec. 30 mission. Low on fuel, the Vipers rendezvoused with the KC-135 and then guarded the crew until relieved on station by a pair of A-10s that, in turn, kept watch until a rescue convoy arrived to extract the two-man Apache crew. “That kind of orchestration is what we do,” summed Capt. Joel Doss, AWACS electronic combat officer. (380th AEW report by SSgt. J.G. Buzanowski)
One Airman was killed and three others injured in a vehicle mishap at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., on June 29. Additionally, two first responder Airmen sustained injuries responding to the incident. All five injured Airmen have been transported to nearby medical facilities, according to a release from the base.