USAF Photo of the Day: A generous peek inside the "Tip of the Spear" plus a display of power

United States Air Force (USAF) ^ | July 2005 | Technical Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo, USAF

[EnjoyingLife]

July 2005: A spectacular up close and personal look inside Andersen Air Force Base located on Territory of Guam (USA), the "tip of the spear" for U.S. forces in the Pacific region. Also visible (and not from afar) are three airborne, fearsome and very deadly modern arrows from U.S. DoD's diverse quiver: the B-2 Spirit Stealth bomber and a pair of F-15E Strike Eagle fighters. They, as well as the base, are looking very fit and very prepared. (Related: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1492277/posts and http://www.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/060707-F-3961R-003.jpg)

The Very Large Image
http://www.af.mil/shared/media/photodb/photos/060707-F-3961R-001.jpg

The Photographer
Technical Sgt. Cecilio M. Ricardo, 36th Communication Squadron, 36th Air Expeditionary Wing, United States Air Force

The Courtesies
http://www.af.mil/mediacenter/transcripts/story.asp?storyID=123011112 ("Joining Forces"),
http://chamorrobible.org/gpw/gpw-20051129.htm (the above medium-sized image which is really 1600 x 869 pixels),
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/guam.html (Guam map) and the
U.S.A. taxpayers who generously pay for the awesome U.S. national defense and great photos like the above.

[bybybill]

WOW

[Nickh]

looks like Burpelson air force base. with the chinese and all the military help they got from bj and hitlery, i hope we still have people like base commander jack t. ripper around.

[Names Ash Housewares]

Freedoms Thunder!


http://homepage.mac.com/lightningrodpictures/iMovieTheater33.html

http://homepage.mac.com/lightningrodpictures/iMovieTheater9.html

[Shqipo]

Awesome!

[cynicom]

Place sure has changed in 50 years. We went below the cliff at left on takeoff a couple of times, hairy operation.

[IYAAYAS]

Cool - thanks for that picture, I did a short tour there in the late 80's. I worked in those funny looking "buildings" in the lower right corner....memories.

[Ditto]

"We went below the cliff at left on takeoff a couple of times, hairy operation."

B-29?

[rlmorel]

bttt

[cynicom]

Yes

[cynicom]

Was there still an underground complex between the runways in the 80s???

[wagglebee]

Bump! Great photo!

[SW6906]

Ping!

[Squantos]

And on the other side of the world my troops are working the Mad Max Missions......:o)

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123013141

[Young Werther]

I was there for the Bullet Shot Operation which brought the North Vietnam negotiators to the bargaining table. There was 150 B-52s stationed there and 66 were constantly in the air. Three took off and landed every hour and 15 minutes. They were droppping the equivalent of 1 ammunition ship worth of 500lb bombs every 7-8 days.

When we went North at Christmas time 1972 we showed our resolve, although we were six years late and 50,000 too many KIAs.

I remember visiting a B-29 monument at the end of the runways. My Uncle Gene was stationed at Andersen in 1944 as a sheet metal specialist.

[359Henrie]

You flew 29's?

[Ditto]

Hats off to you, Sir. That was a classic bird.

I'd love to get up in one, but I imagine I'd be white knuckles for the entire trip. ;~)

[Candor7]

Nice shot, although I am surprised by the lack of revetments and the rowing up of aircraft in a non dispersed AC parking pattern on the ground.

[commish]

Andersen AFB. One of the best kept secrets of USAF assignments.

Mention Guam and most airmen are horrified --- 2 years on a tiny island - UGH!!!!

More like 2 years in paradise. Minus the occasional Typhoon. LOL