Page 1 - Desert Lightning News Tucson 7-31-15

9RO1R Serving Southern Arizona’s military community, including Davis-Monthan Air Force Base July 31, 2015

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Davis-Monthan Airmen return from deployment

Nearly 300 Airmen deployed from D-M the past been deployed around the world including the 354th year; for the past six months D-M has had more than
six months returned at 10:45 p.m. on July 29. Fighter Squadron, which deployed as a Theater Secu- double that amount deployed at once.
rity Package to Europe. This is the largest deployment
Airmen were greeted by family, friends and in D-M history. Normally, the base has approximately These deployments highlight the importance
base leadership. 500 Airmen deployed at any time throughout the of Davis-Monthan and its units to America’s na-
tional security.
A total of 1,200 Airmen from across D-M have

Relationship building by means of the F-16

Tech. Sgt. Erich B. Smith Training Program cannot be rior training provided by the (U.S. Air Force photo/ Master Sgt. Jeffrey Allen)
overstated,” said Col. Phil Pur- Arizona National Guard is a
162nd Wing Public Affairs cell, wing commander for the key enabler for that vision, and Five Arizona Air National Guard F-16 Fighting Falcons soar over the Arizona
largest training unit in the Air overall national interests,” Pur- desert during a training mission. Guardsmen based at the Tucson Interna-
America’s stars and stripes Guard. “Building Partnership cell added. tional Airport carry out a full-time mission to train U.S. and partner-nation
and Arizona’s lone copper star Capacity is a priority for the fighter pilots.
always wave proudly at the U.S. - not only to increase part- Called “Viper” by its Amer-
Arizona Air National Guard’s ner capabilities abroad, but to ican and foreign pilots, the See F-16, Page 11
162nd Wing. build long-term relationships.” Fighting Falcon is a mainstay
in global air force circles. Its
But it’s the adjacent flags of And it’s the F-16 Fighting ushering into the inventory of
coalition-partners - from the Falcon that symbolizes secu- the U.S. Air Force during the
pacific island-nations of Far rity cooperation with the more late 1970s confirmed a new
East Asia, to the NATO coun- than 40 countries that have wave of aerial warfare. A little
tries of the old Europe and sent their pilots to the southern more than a decade later, the
new ones in the Middle-East Arizona desert. Dutch would be the first to
- that remind Guard Airmen send their young air-cadets to
the global reach of their unit. “With the F-16 being such a the wing’s F-16 Schoolhouse.
common platform across our
“The strategic value of the allies and partners, the supe- Though allied-nations
162nd Wing’s International