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    ~The FReeper Canteen Presents~ Road Trip: Langley Air Force Base, Virginia Langley Air Force Base (IATA: LFI, ICAO: KLFI) is the home of the United States Air Force's 1st Fighter Wing (1 FW) and the 480th Intelligence Wing (480 IW). It also hosts Headquarters, Air Combat Command (ACC).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...

Air Force Fighter Fleet in 'Crisis' By RICHARD LARDNER – 12 hours ago WASHINGTON (AP) — Years of stress on the Air Force's aging jet fighter fleet have led to serious structural problems that could grow worse even after expensive repairs are made, senior service officials said Thursday. Gen. John Corley, the top officer at Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va., called the situation a "crisis" that would be best solved by an infusion of costly new aircraft rather than fixing jets that are 25 years old. The mechanical troubles, most acute in the F-15 Eagles used...

F-22 Raptors here reached Full Operational Capability (FOC) December 12, according to Gen. John D.W. Corley, the commander of Air Combat Command. The announcement offically makes Langley's F-22 squadrons combat ready. FOC for the F-22 means the aircraft are now ready for global engagement, said Lt. Col. Mark Hansen, the Air Combat Command F-22 integration officer. "Crews are now (fully) organized, trained, equipped and ready for the joint fight," he said. Since the F-22s reached initial operational capability two years ago, the 1st Fighter Wing and the Air National Guard's 192nd Fighter Wing have dedicated time and resources into finding...

12/5/2007 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- The commander of Air Combat Command directed the stand-down Dec. 3 of all ACC F-15 A through D model aircraft until further notice. The decision follows additional information received from the ongoing investigation of the Nov. 2 F-15C mishap that resulted in the loss of that aircraft. Gen. John D.W. Corley, ACC commander, also recommended the grounding of all other A through D model aircraft in other Air Force major commands, including those under the operational control of U.S. combatant commanders. Monday's findings from the accident investigation board indicate that a...

Entire F-15 fleet returning to flight 11/21/2007 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- Gen. John D.W. Corley, commander, Air Combat Command, sent a message Nov. 21 to F-15 pilots, weapons systems officers and maintenance professionals outlining the actions the Air Force has taken following the Nov. 2 F-15C Eagle mishap that resulted in the loss of the aircraft. The message reads: (Quote) Airmen On 2 November, the Air Force experienced an F-15C mishap resulting in the loss of the aircraft. The circumstances of the mishap indicated catastrophic structural failure. On 3 November, the Air Force grounded its F-15...

GARDEZ, Afghanistan, Oct. 29, 2007 – Four combat engineers recently traveled from Kabul to Gardez to share their construction experience with Afghans hired to build housing units for military personnel assigned to Forward Operating Base Lightning. Air Force Staff Sgt. Dwayne B. Jones assists in laying concrete blocks for a housing unit at Forward Operating Base Lightning, Afghanistan. Jones, from Langley Air Force Base, Va., is one of four combat engineers who were in Gardez mentoring and assisting Afghan masons. The combat engineers are assigned to Task Force Phoenix Engineering Company in Kabul. Photo by Staff Sgt. Luis P....

The Air Force next month will deploy a new generation of pilotless airplane with the bombing power of an F-16 to help stop the stubborn Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. The Reaper is an upgraded version of the Predator, which has become one of the military’s most sought-after planes since it first appeared in Afghanistan in 2001. The Reaper can fly three times as fast as a Predator and carry eight times more weaponry, such as Hellfire missiles, the Air Force said. The Reaper’s greater range and speed make it better suited than the Predator to Afghanistan’s vast, rugged terrain. The...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army soon will deploy a faster and more lethal pilotless plane to Afghanistan and then to Iraq, it was reported Tuesday. The Reaper flies three times as fast and can carry eight times more weapons than the Predator, the pilotless U.S. plane in use since 2001, USA Today reported. The Reaper, with its longer range and speed, is well suited to roust Taliban fighters from Afghanistan's vast and mountainous terrain, said Brig. Gen. James Poss, director of intelligence for Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Deploying to Afghanistan this fall,...

As another type of fighter jet is about to begin training over the Navy base on Boca Chica Key, little has been done to resolve neighbors' concerns about the current class of fighter jets that pilots fly while training there. Nearly two months ago, the Navy promised to hold a public meeting to discuss changes to its Air Installation Compatible Use Zones, so-called "AICUZ maps" that show areas of high noise and accident potential, where development is dissuaded. No meetings have been held. The Navy in July asked the County Commission to approve the maps and set land-use guidelines that...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- An F-15 fighter jet crashed Monday after colliding in mid-air with another military jet during a training exercise, Air Force officials said. The other jet landed safely, and no one was seriously injured. The pilot of the F-15C ejected safely and was taken a military hospital, said Airman Jennifer Anton, a spokeswoman at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks. The pilot did not have serious injuries, she said. The pilot of the other jet, an F-16C that landed safely, was uninjured, she said. It was not immediately clear why the two jets collided at 11:23 a.m. local...

LAKELAND - Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Shower came home to his high school stomping grounds Friday in the ultimate flying machine, an F-22 Raptor. As a crowd of Sun 'n Fun Fly-In visitors oohed and aahed over America's next-generation fighter jet, the graduate of Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland said, "You feel kind of like a rock star or something." "It's a big deal for the Air Force. This is the first time out of the nest" for the Raptor, Shower said. It gives civilians a chance to see "you've got a phenomenal airplane. You have bought an...

March 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The 94th Fighter Squadron, famous for its historic "Hat in the Ring" insignia and legendary aviator Eddy Rickenbacker, began receiving F-22 Raptors from Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT - News) today. The two 5th Generation stealthy, air dominance fighters are assigned to the second operational squadron in the U.S. Air Force. ADVERTISEMENT The two Raptors will join F-22s flying today as part of the 1st Fighter Wing's 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Lockheed Martin has completed final assembly on 71 of the 107 fighters now on contract, and 63 have been delivered. "This...

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- He wears a battle dress uniform and looks just like any other maintainer working on a F-22 Raptor, but this Airman is very different from most others in the 27th Aircraft Maintenance Unit here. He is paid by the hour, reports to a different supervisor and has a 70-mile commute to and from Richmond to come to work every day. His name is Tech. Sgt. Scott Browning. He, and 60 other members of the 192nd Fighter Wing, Virginia Air National Guard, work here as pilots, maintainers, fire rescuers, services and command post personnel. “The 1st...

01/23/2006 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va., (ACCNS) -- The 27th Fighter Squadron passed another milestone Jan. 22 after completing an Operation Noble Eagle mission in the F-22A. The Jan. 21 and 22 mission over the U.S. marks the first operational mission in the new fighter aircraft since it was declared Initial Operational Capable in December. Operation Noble Eagle provides air defense over the U.S. and Canada in order to prevent a future 9-11 type attack. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, North American Aerospace Defense Command fighters have responded to more than 2,000 air events within the United States...

1/13/2006 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- The 1st Fighter Wing held a ceremony here today to celebrate the F-22A Raptor's initial operational capability. The event comes after the 27th Fighter Squadron was officially declared IOC on Dec. 15 by Gen. Ronald E. Keys, commander of Air Combat Command. The IOC declaration proves the F-22A is mission ready. The base now has 19 Raptors.

The futuristic F-22A "Raptor" fighter jet, designed to dominate the skies well into the 21st century, joined the U.S. combat fleet on Thursday, 20 years after it was conceived to fight Soviet MiGs over Europe. The Air Force said "initial operational capability" had been achieved at the 1st Fighter Wing's 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Pilots in the squadron, the Air Force's oldest in continuous operation, have been training on the F-22, the Air Force's most advanced weapon system, for about a year. "If we go to war tomorrow, the Raptor will go with us," Gen....

12/16/2005 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- The 94th Fighter Squadron flew its last F-15 Eagle sortie today, marking the squadron’s official evolution to F-22A Raptor operations. The “Hat-in-the-Ring Gang” is the second squadron at Langley to convert from the F-15C/D -- a strictly air-to-air fighter -- to the Raptor, which has air-to-ground capabilities. Pilots from Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon units will move into the 94th to ramp up Raptor operations. “From the operator perspective, we see it as a way to better equip the force,” said Lt Col. Dirk Smith, the squadron commander. “It’s more than...

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Air Force said it will declare the first F-22A Raptor fighter squadron operational, effectively making the advanced stealthy jet ready for combat. [end] After years of intensive testing and training for the jet, which an air force official called "the finest air dominance fighter ever built", the 27th Fighter Squadron will formally enter its 12 F22As into service with the announcement. It effectively means the squadron, based at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia, will be capable of deploying the stealth fighters on missions anywhere in the world, an air force spokesman said. [end]...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The futuristic F-22A "Raptor" fighter jet, designed to dominate the skies well into the 21st century, joined the U.S. combat fleet on Thursday, 20 years after it was conceived to fight Soviet MiGs over Europe. The Air Force said "initial operational capability" had been achieved by 16 of the aircraft at the 1st Fighter Wing's 27th Fighter Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. Pilots in the squadron, the Air Force's oldest in continuous operation, have been training on the F-22 for about a year. "When asked to go to war, they're ready," said the 1st Fighter...

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) -- Nineteen aircraft from Langley Air Force Base, Va., found shelter from the storm on the runway here Sept. 13. The 1st Fighter Wing jets, along with a crew of 90 support Airmen, arrived here midafternoon, evacuated from Virginia because of the expected arrival of Hurricane Ophelia. Providing shelter for the jets is a chance for the 46th Test Wing to be on the receiving end for a change, instead of evacuating its own aircraft -- a task that flying wings here are all too familiar with. Planes here fled the base three times...

LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- The commander of the Air Force Command and Control, and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center became the first inductee into the Air Force District of Washington’s Order of the Sword during a ceremony here July 22. Maj. Gen. Tommy F. Crawford received the highest honor and tribute noncommissioned officers can bestow upon an individual for his dedication to giving the unit’s enlisted force an equal hand in progressing the center’s unique mission. As just the forth commander of the AFC2ISR Center, General Crawford continues to hone the charge first set out in 1995...

The difference between Langley Air Force Base and Oceana Naval Air Station on the base closure list is a case of sound and fury. Every nine minutes or so, an F-15 or F/A-22 comes in over Back River at about 245 mph on a path that's gradual and shallow and which leads to the softest, quietest touchdown possible. Col. Tom Tinsley calls it a "don't-spill-the-coffee-on-the-guy-in-first-class" landing. The pilot cuts power, works the brakes and eventually coasts to a stop on an adjoining concrete parking lot. Langley Air Force base has received five complaints this year from people who say their...

6/8/2005 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (AFPN) -- A flight control system problem caused an F/A-22 Raptor to crash on the runway at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., on Dec. 20, according to an Air Force report released June 8. The pilot ejected and sustained minor injuries. The $133.3-million aircraft, assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis, was destroyed when it crashed. Additional damage was limited to an arresting cable, runway guide sign, runway light and the runway itself. The flight control system malfunction was caused by a brief power interruption to the aircraft’s three rate...

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE -- (AP) -- Five more F/A-22 Raptors landed Friday at this Florida Panhandle base where Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Force chief of staff, is among the first pilots being trained to fly the new stealth fighter. The five Raptors arrived from the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. plant in Marietta, Ga., a day after all F/A-22s were cleared to resume flying for the first time since a Dec. 20 crash at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The additional planes increased the number of Raptors at Tyndall to 18, more than half of the 33 now in...

Here are some great photos taken during the air show at Langley Air Force Base. They were taken by a friend I know from IRC chat who we know as "LadyConeFlower" and are copyrighted, but with her permission, I am posting them here for the freepers to enjoy! - Billy Kess (PatriotEdition) The Golden Knights are the US Army's elite paratrooper team. The air show at Langley Air Force Base featured these paratroopers doing a Flag Jump on May 23, 2004. What you are seeing is the flag being flown off the parachute of one of the jumpers, him coming...

Air Force will test Eagle Flag by Master Sgt. Paul Fazzini Air Mobility Command Public Affairs 10/3/2003 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFPN) -- The Air Force will begin its newest flag-level exercise Oct. 13, targeting expeditionary combat-support skills and testing them to the maximum extent. Eagle Flag is to the expeditionary combat-support community what Red Flag is to the fighter community, said Maj. Gen. Christopher A. Kelly, Air Mobility Warfare Center commander at Fort Dix, N.J. "(It) will bring expeditionary combat-support leadership to Fort Dix (where) we will test their abilities to go out and establish an air base in an...

Navy ships head to sea to ride out Hurricane Isabel Associated Press © September 16, 2003 Last updated: 12:04 PM NORFOLK -- About 40 Navy ships and submarines began leaving bases in Virginia and New Jersey this morning to avoid potential damage from Hurricane Isabel. The ships will head out to sea to get north of the storm and then move east to maneuver around the hurricane, said Adm. Robert J. Natter, commander of the Norfolk-based Atlantic Fleet. Forecasters said Isabel, with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, appeared to be on a course to hit Thursday on the North...

<p>Forget about leaving a trail of bread crumbs. Getting lost in the woods may become a thing of the past, thanks to a new high-tech panic button for outdoors lovers.</p> <p>In a move that could change society's relationship with wilderness, the federal government today will roll out a new electronic homing system that uses satellites to track ``personal locator beacons'' carried by outdoors enthusiasts. The devices will allow rescuers to immediately locate people stranded miles from civilization and facing life-threatening injuries.</p>

Military Unprepared For 9/11 Attacks United Press International May 26, 2003 WASHINGTON - The panel established to investigate the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks was told Friday that the United States was so unprepared that the first warplanes sent to the capital's airspace to intercept the hijacked airliners were unarmed. The two F-16s, part of the 113th Air National Guard based at Andrews Air Force Base were visible in the sky above the Pentagon as it was evacuated after being struck by American Airlines Flight 77, Maj. Gen. Craig McKinley, a commander in the Air Force told the panel....

AN AIR BASE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION — From chaos comes order. Or, at least, “organized chaos,” according to Capt. Brian Thomas, executive officer for Col. Terry New, the commander of the 401st Air Expeditionary Wing. He was describing the creation of an expeditionary wing, the joining of disparate parts into one unified whole. Thomas knows about this. His job back at Aviano Air Base, Italy, is executive officer for the commander of the 16th Air Expeditionary Wing. “You can’t apply a cookie cutter mentality,” he said. “You have no idea what you do or do not need until...