W
e are still awaiting official word about the location of 17th Air Force, the air component for US Africa Command. But a Pentagon release on selection of two Air Force generals slated to head the reactivated 17th AF dropped a big hint March 28 that the Africa-centric air operations will be run out of Sembach, Germany. Maj. Gen. Ronald Ladnier, currently commander of the 618th Tanker Airlift Control Center at Scott AFB, Ill., was selected for reassignment to Sembach as 17th Air Force commander and consequently AFRICOM’s air component commander. His deputy will be Brig. Gen. Michael Callan, who is currently serving as commander of 23rd AF, Air Force Special Operations Command’s warfighting headquarters, at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The generals’ official biographies now also list Sembach, which is just northeast of Kaiserslautern, as their next destination. One caveat: While both the biographies and selection announcement list Sembach as an air base, USAF has considered the facility as Sembach Annex under the umbrella of Ramstein Air Base since 1995 when portions of Sembach reverted to host-nation control.
We looked back on the past 12 months to find the stories that resonated the most with you, our audience, and these 10 topped the list. Maybe you missed one the first time around, or perhaps you’d like to revisit a favorite.