Author: Staff Writer

U.S. military officials said they had removed some 60 planeloads of gear from Afghanistan and identified about 1,300 pieces of equipment for destruction by Tuesday as the Pentagon works to exit the country where American troops have been at war for nearly 20 years.

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told House lawmakers on Tuesday that the establishment of a Space National Guard is a top priority, as he and other service officials are fairly close to finalizing details to be sent to the Pentagon.

“The first thing that comes to mind is fire,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Rogers, 57th Rescue Squadron pararescueman, or PJ. “There were so many things covered in fuel and burning. It looked apocalyptic.”

Authorities are searching for a U.S. Air Force member who went missing off Surfside Beach on Sunday.

A CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft from a wing of the Hurlburt Field-headquartered Air Force Special Operations Command demolished the helicopter landing pad at a British hospital during training operations on Wednesday.

A California National Guard fighter jet in Fresno was on standby to help restore order had civil unrest broke out last year, according to a Los Angeles Times story that cites multiple unnamed sources.

The U.S. Air Force has grounded all B-1B bombers following an April 8 emergency with one of the aircraft at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, the Air Force Global Strike Command confirmed Friday.

F-15Es from the 492nd Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, F-16s from the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem, and C-130s from the 37th Airlift Squadron out of Ramstein Air Base, Germany, arrived Monday for the exercise, in which they will train alongside Polish air force squadrons, U.S. and Polish military officials said.

The 23d Fighter Group is scheduled to host Hawgsmoke 2021, April 14-17.

A C-17 caught fire in South Carolina following the completion of an oveseas mission.