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The Heart of Texas Air Show...Waco, TX...pronounced "Way-co". The F-16D (2 seater) on the bottom carries a fuel drop tank, the fuel capacity of the D is less than the single seaters...
USAF Boeing C17 Globemaster III from the "McChord AMC" about to touch down at Prestwick airport in Ayrshire, Scotland.
The USAF Heritage Flight seen at Yuma airshow comprising of F-22A, 06-4108 and F-86F 52-4978. 17/03/2018.
Senior Airman Loren Bell inspects a piece of shrapnel, an after effect of his work.
Not all warriors wear green: Air Force JTACs earn respect
JALALABAD AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Airmen called Joint Terminal Attack Controllers or members of the Tactical Air Control Party are aligned with Army units and are every bit as tough and hardened as Army infantrymen.
JTACs and TACPs live, eat and march the mountains with the infantry and stand ready to call in close air support for the troops they are embedded with.
"Eighty percent of our deployment is spent in the field," said Airman 1st Class Adam Green, a native of Chandler, Ariz. "Day to day we're out with the 'Joes' on the ground playing cards or getting in contact and putting bombs on the target."
"We bring the fast movers to the table – fast carriers that carry a lot of ordnance, like A-10s," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Derek Wilson from Sacramento, Calif. "There's no better feeling than being in a firefight and having an A-10 arrive choc-full with bombs."
"[We have artillery support] but nothing is going to put more firepower on the battlefield than a 1,000 pound bomb or multiple 1,000 pound bombs," said Green. "That's what we bring."
Calling in bombs on the enemy is not as easy as making a telephone call.
"In a firefight you have to de-conflict fires and airspace; you have guys on the ground yelling at you to get bombs on the target; you have to know the rules of engagement," said Wilson. "You have to bring in those bombs within the perimeter of war. You have to keep a calm head."
The two Airmen did not exaggerate their roles or the austerity of their living.
"These guys spend more time outside the wire than inside," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Christopher Mann, from Jacksonville, Fla. "Green spent 48 days in a foxhole up in the mountains and Wilson spent six months with (other governmental agencies) before we got here. You're not going to see any other career field in the Air Force spend that much time outside of the wire."
The role of the weapons systems they support is huge on the battlefield. Many times all it takes is a show of force. Just the roar of aircraft getting closer saves lives by intimidating the enemy into breaking contact. It allows friendly forces to act on the change of momentum and pursue or close in on and kill the enemy, said Mann.
"Within months of finishing (technical training) school, these Airmen see combat," said Mann, a onetime instructor at JTAC school. "When I was teaching at the school, I use to tell these guys 'you're going to be in combat. You're going to see friends die, maybe not your Air Force friends, but the Soldiers you become friends with.' But of the 800 students I trained, I never talked to one who said 'this isn't for me.'"
Earning the respect of the infantrymen is a process. Short of dropping bombs and neutralizing the enemy, the airmen prove themselves by keeping up, doing their share, and knowing their job. It's a process they're happy to do.
"Yeah, he has to prove himself," Mann said of an airman fighting alongside the infantry. "But, that's how we get our foot in the door. They will earn respect through their knowledge."
"When you first get to an Army unit there is an aspect of having to prove yourself," said Green. "You're surrounded by these 11-Bravos (infantry) and you have to prove yourself. But once you do your job, they appreciate you being there. All it takes is the first time."
"Some people want to look down on us because we're Air Force," said Wilson. "You walk up to the top of a mountain - we keep up with a ruck heavier than most - and all of a sudden things hit the fan and we go to work. We neutralize the enemy and they're glad we're here. It's gratifying."
These Airmen, some of the few in the Air Force that can be seen wearing berets, Army combat patches and Army awards, get a serious sense of gratification from their work.
"It kind of saves the day, so to speak," Green agreed. "It's a war out here and only so many guys in the Air Force are there to take it to the enemy. That's what's satisfying."
"The best part of our job is being out in the field neutralizing the enemy," said Wilson. "Getting bombs on the target, that's what it's all about."
"There's no other job in the Air Force where you're going to get that kind of first hand action," added Green.
For all the effort involved in earning respect, these "blue Soldiers" benefit from the challenge in a true display of character and insight.
"It's a challenge working with the Army," said Wilson. "You have to prove yourself. You can't let them see you slip or they will hold that to you. You have to be at the top of your game the whole time. Not just because you don't want to slip but because you could potentially get someone killed."
The dedication these Airmen displayed is an uncommon one. Although Army units now serve 15-month deployments, these Airmen have only six month deployments. That didn't stop these Airmen from serving their year, however.
"These guys volunteered to stay along with the extension," said Mann. "That says a lot about these guys. This has been the fifth or sixth deployment for Wilson. (Wilson and Green) are doing a phenomenal job. They both have supported every major contingency operation in the past year."
"I saw a poster that said, 'we need a few good Airmen to join the Army,'" Green recalled. "I shipped off to school not knowing what we really did. I didn't really know what we did until I got down range. Now I know exactly what we are doing."
On the stand after landing at Edinburgh airport is this USAF Boeing C32 transport plane. On board was the delegation for the COP 26 Conference in Glasgow.
The Boeing C-32, (Boeing 757-2G4), is a military passenger transport of the United States Air Force, providing transportation for United States leaders to locations around the world. The primary users are the Vice President of the United States (using the distinctive call sign "Air Force Two"), the First Lady, and the Secretary of State. On rare occasions, other members of the U.S. Cabinet and Congressional leaders have been authorized to fly aboard the C-32 for various missions. The C-32, since its debut, has also served as Air Force One in place of the larger VC-25A to airports that cannot accommodate the Boeing 747-based "jumbo" jet.
A pararescue team from Baghdad International Airport performs a team movement exercise through urban streets in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Operation Iraqi Freedom is a multi-national coalition effort to liberate the Iraqi people, eliminate IraqÕs weapons of mass destruction and the regime of Saddam Hussein.
A United States Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III on finals for Schiphol Airports Kaagbaan in dull weather
A Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor and a Douglas A-1 Skyraider (The Proud American) on a heritage flight at the Abbotsford International Airshow, Abbotsford, B.C. The A-1 is a single seat attack aircraft that was in service from 1946 to 1980. It saw combat action in the Korean and Vietnam wars. In addition to the USAF, the A-1 was also used by the UK, Sweden, France and the Republic of Vietnam air forces. The F-22 is a modern stealth fighter that was developed in the late 1990's and came into service in 2005. It has seen combat service in the Middle East beginning in 2009.
Go Time
A United States Air Force Boeing C-32 (757-200) about to line up for departure at RAF Mildenhall after staying there for a couple of days
USAF F-15C creating wingtip vortices at it turns into a Welsh valley.
© Ben Stacey All Rights Reserved - Unauthorized use of this photo is strictly prohibited
USAF Boeing C32 on short finals to land at Edinburgh airport for the start of the COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
The Boeing C-32, (Boeing 757-2G4), is a military passenger transport of the United States Air Force, providing transportation for United States leaders to locations around the world. The primary users are the Vice President of the United States (using the distinctive call sign "Air Force Two"), the First Lady, and the Secretary of State. On rare occasions, other members of the U.S. Cabinet and Congressional leaders have been authorized to fly aboard the C-32 for various missions. The C-32, since its debut, has also served as Air Force One in place of the larger VC-25A to airports that cannot accommodate the Boeing 747-based "jumbo" jet.
Departing from Aberdeen Dyce airport is this USAF Boeing C32 transport plane.
The Boeing C-32, (Boeing 757-2G4), is a military passenger transport of the United States Air Force, providing transportation for United States leaders to locations around the world. The primary users are the Vice President of the United States (using the distinctive call sign "Air Force Two"), the First Lady, and the Secretary of State. On rare occasions, other members of the U.S. Cabinet and Congressional leaders have been authorized to fly aboard the C-32 for various missions. The C-32, since its debut, has also served as Air Force One in place of the larger VC-25A to airports that cannot accommodate the Boeing 747-based "jumbo" jet.
USAF 86-0024 - Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy - US Air Force
at London International Airport (YXU)
during the 2019 London Air Show
c/n 500-0110 - built in 1987 -
conv. to C-5M in 2016
operated by Air Mobility Command, 60th./348th. AMW based Travis AFB