About 100 airmen from the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes ANGB, Mass., deployed to Germany on May 12 for integration training with Active Duty airmen at Spangdahlem and Ramstein Air Bases. The training allows the Guardsmen to work on scenarios they may not have seen since technical school, such as do-it-yourself and permanent change of station moves, according to a press release. The training also includes using a hot pit refueling system, which Barnes does not have, said Maj. Wendy Kiepke, the installation deployment manager for the 104th FW. The airmen will support other members of the 104th FW who are deployed to Bulgaria.
B-52 Stratofortress bombers marked a new first in Operation Epic Fury when some of the BUFFs flew over Iran carrying JDAM-guided gravity bombs, according to people familiar with the matter. The development signals a weakening of Iranian air defenses and a new use for the venerable bomber in the nearly…