The Laughlin Task Force plans to push the Texas state legislature to create an encroachment-proof zone around Laughlin Air Force Base, near Del Rio, reports Southwest Texas Live.com. The task force, comprising elected officials, civic and business leaders, and citizens, met Dec. 3 to draft language for a bill to grant zoning authority to certain local governments. Attending the meeting was US Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D), but according to the news report, he did not comment directly on the proposed legislation but acknowledged his continued support for infrastructure and other improvements to Laughlin, one of the Air Force’s primary pilot training bases.
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.