FReeper Canteen ~ Road Trip: Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia ~ 17 April 2018

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | laurenmarlowe and the Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

~The FReeper Canteen Presents~

Road Trip: Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia

Joint Base Langley–Eustis (JBLE), composed of Langley Air Force Base and Fort Eustis, is a United States military joint base located in the greater Hampton Roads area of the Tidewater region of Virginia. The installation is the result of the Base Realignment and Closure, 2005, a Congressional initiative to maximize the operational efficiency of 26 military installations nationwide by combining their support functions, contracts and organizations.

Unlike other joint bases that share common perimeters, such as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, the two components are geographically separated by 17 miles. The installation is one of six Air Force-led joint bases in the country.

In January 2010, the Air Force reactivated the 633d Air Base Wing to assume host unit and installation support functions at each location. The installation assumed its full operational capability (FOC) in October 2010. In April 2011, JBLE experienced the first Air Force operational readiness inspection (ORI) of a joint base. In addition, the inspection is the first of its kind for an installation hosting a combat-ready F-22 Raptor unit.

As the host unit at Langley Air Force Base, Va., the 1st Fighter Wing operates and maintains one of the largest fighter bases in Air Combat Command. Throughout its history, the 1st FW has led the way, wherever and whenever called upon. The 192nd Fighter Wing is an Air National Guard component of the Virginia National Guard, located at Langley, which augments the active-duty Air Force components in the performance of their missions and other joint force operations.

The 1st Fighter Wing's mission is "to deliver airpower; train, equip and deploy Airmen; deploy, fight and win - anywhere, any time and to deliver 'first-class, first-time' support to Team Langley."

On 7 August 1990, the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Desert Shield. Throughout both Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the wing flew more than 6,200 sorties and nearly 25,000 flying hours. The wing also recorded an aerial victory when Capt Steve Tate of the 71 FS shot down an Iraqi Dassault Mirage F1.

From the end of Operation Desert Storm until the commencement of Operation Iraqi Freedom, squadrons of the 1 FW routinely deployed to Turkey in support of Operation Northern Watch, or to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the northern and southern "No Fly" zones over Iraq. In 2003, the 1 FW deployed again to Southwest Asia in order to provide air superiority during actual combat operations. Deploying in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the wing flew over 360 training and combat sorties.

Other historical firsts for the 1st Fighter Wing are:

*The first U.S. group-level unit to enter air combat.
*The first U.S. unit to destroy enemy aircraft in World War I.
*The parent unit of the first recipient of the Medal of Honor for aerial combat.
*The parent unit of the two highest scoring U.S. aces in World War I.
*The first fighter unit to deploy en masse over the North Atlantic.
*The first U.S. unit to destroy a German aircraft in World War II.
*The first U.S. jet fighter unit.

The F-22 Raptor is the Air Force's newest fighter aircraft. Its combination of stealth, supercruise, maneuverability, and integrated avionics, coupled with improved supportability, represents an exponential leap in warfighting capabilities. The Raptor performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing full realization of operational concepts vital to the 21st century Air Force.

Read More About Langley Air Force Base, and the F-22 Raptor Here!

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We pray that your hope, courage, and dignity remain unbroken, so that you may show others the way.

God Bless You All ~ Today, Tomorrow and Always

 

 

[luvie]

Sorry you didn’t get to see Hampton Roads or the other great places. They are wonderful. But it is what it is and it’s VERY looooooooooooong.

Hope you had a good...as in warmer....day today! It got warmer than I like here, but I stayed in most of the day. I am cleaning out closets and that is a job I HATE. I’m just trying to figure out who to give my non-fitting clothes to. They’re still good, but I just can’t wear them anymore and will probably never be that small again. LOL!

[Kathy in Alaska]

She leaves on the red-eye late, late Saturday night, so we still have a little time. I’m taking off Thursday and Friday of this week too.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Fort Useless, Virginia - hot, remote when I did ROTC summer camp there in 1959 - we all got to learn to drive deuce-and-half trucks - the shift lever broke off in my hand while I was taking my turn - asked the guy next to me I should do now and some wisea$$ in back yelled “salute!” - clearly the camp survived us snot-nosed college kids and is a valuable military asset today.....

[Kathy in Alaska]

At least Blue is comfy. Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...any pub nights planned?

Your spring just does NOT want to be nice!!

[radu]

It would have been nice to see what’s over there but I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle that tunnel. I did get to see one of the ships that had just come in but for the life of me, I can’t remember which one it was. We’re talking over 40 years ago. All I can remember was being blown away by the size of it. HUGE!

We lived under a flight path for NAS Norfolk (where my sailor was stationed) and were close enough to the base, the planes were low when they went over. I was surprised at how quickly I grew accustomed to the roar of the jets.

It was a little warmer today. Mid 40s this afternoon instead of mid 30s. Tomorrow will be NICE with temps around 70.

OH BOY! Cleaning out closets! How I envy you.
NOT!
LOL

My fun was taking Sasha to the vet. She started limping Fri. night and I needed to find out what she’d done to herself. Torn ligament. It’ll heal on its own but will take a few weeks.

Tomorrow I go back with Dexter to find out what the big lump is that’s on his ear. I hope it’s nothing more than a big fatty cyst. Could be an abscess but I don’t think it is.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mooch...winter seems to be gone for good this year. Lots of sunshine and melting snow.

Are you done with storms and snow?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Cora gave her 2 week notice today...*sigh*

[radu]

Oh no!

I guess we knew it was inevitable but still .....

Will they try to get a replacement in before she leaves so she can train them?

[Kathy in Alaska]

In first....radu grabs the gold!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

And in second....Pro snags the silver!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

And rounding out the top three....lightman bags the bronze!!

[radu]

LOL! Maybe I should get a screen cap of it. The first and probably the ONLY time this will happen. :-)

[luvie]

Oh, how much fun going to the vet. Again. I hope she feels better soon and that Dexter heals on his own. Maybe he’s like Peaches and scratches get infected and swollen. Have you tried antibiotics on it? Silly question. You are very on top of your kitties’ ailments.

I think that the ship that had just come into dock was the Eisenhower. There were tons of sailors coming and going. We couldn’t get that close. I did get fairly close to some when I was in Thailand. We went on a boat jaunt to an island and the boat was going right beside a humongous American ship...I think they called it a helicopter carrier. I couldn’t believe how far up we had to look, and our little boat was soooo tiny.

Being near the flight path is cool. I always loved living in a town with an air base!

[radu]

Oh, it’s soooooo much fun going to the vet. Even more fun going two days in a row!
I’m just hoping it isn’t a malignant tumor. A friend had a cat with a similar lump and that’s what it was. They had to remove her ear but at least she’s ok now.
I still don’t want that for Dexter.

No medicine on it at this point because there’s no open wound. No sign that one of the others clipped him with a claw and that’s why I don’t think it’s an abscess.

It’s humbling to be close to one of those ships, isn’t it? You know they’re huge but can’t really appreciate just HOW huge until you see one in person. Awe-inspiring.

I always enjoyed going to visit Dad because he lived across the highway from Hurlburt Field, just outside Ft. Walton Beach, FL. LOTS of jets flying around.

What I enjoyed most about Norfolk was when the C5A’s would pass overhead. Those monsters would block out the daylight, they were so huge and so low when they went over. LOL! You felt them more than heard them, though you definitely heard them.

There’s an AFB close to us but it’s an R&D center with mostly civilian workers. Just a small number of AF personnel. We still have occasional planes and helicopters fly over the farm.

[luvie]

C5As do touch-and-gos out at the airport between here and Midland and I love watching them lumber through the sky. They are sooo cool!

Oh, I hope Dexter’s ear is not malignant. It would be awful to lose an ear, but better that than to lose him!

Piper is fine after her dog bite. My son told me in a text: “The dog was just a small, fuzzy, white, yappy dog. It was on a retractable leash and when the owners came outside, the dog just ran out to Piper, bit her, then retreated...stupid little dogs.
She was pretty startled, nut likely not what you’d call traumatic.”

[radu]

I’m jealous! It’s been ages since I’ve seen one. They occasionally show up at the base close by but they don’t pass over the farm on their way in or out.

I have all appendages crossed for luck with Dex’s ear. There’s no telling what we’re dealing with.

Great news about Piper! I was afraid it was a large dog that had bitten her. Still, being bitten at all wasn’t any fun for her. Maybe the owners will think to keep the leash locked as they go outside so the dog can’t take off like that. Once they see who’s around and where they are, they can unlock it so the dog can move away from them. Better safe than sorry but not everyone thinks along those lines.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Tuesday morning to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

((HUGS))Good morning, Ladies. Thanks for this morning's thread, Lauren. How's it going?

[luvie]

I am just thankful that she wasn’t hurt badly, and she didn’t have to have those awful anti-rabies shots! That would have traumatized her for sure!

I used to see the C5As driving back and forth from work as the highway I took went very close to the airport. I can hear them overhead sometimes even here at the house, though.

Guess I’d better go for tonight. Have to be bright eyed for the quiz tomorrow night. Wonder what they’ll want to know this time. :)

See ya then! All the best for your kittehs!

[radu]

Her not having to have those horrid shots is the best part of all this. That’s traumatizing enough for adults let alone a little girl. *shudder*

Kinda wish I hadn’t thought about C5As tonight. Now I’m jonzin’ to see/hear/feel one go overhead. LOL! Such a rush!

Thanks for the well wishes for the kittehs. Sasha will be fine though it’ll take a little time. Dexter, I’m nervous about and hoping for another good outcome.

Catch ya tomorrow evening for the quiz!

[Bonemaker]

I was stationed there 1965-1966. It was Langley AFB then, HQ Tactical Air Command. Lots of F4’s and ADC F-106’s. Nice sounds in those days.