Lt. Col. Andrew Dembosky climbs into his F-16 Fighting Falcon for a mission with the 14th Fighter Squadron at Misawa Air Base, Japan, as Staff Sgt. Robert Parsons helps with preflight preparations. The 14th FS is preparing to deploy to Iraq. Colonel Dembosky is the inspector general for Misawa's 35th Fighter Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Robert Barnett)
Senior Airman Weylin Oliver and Airman 1st Class Ami Grabowski create and route test signals from a maintenance station aboard an RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft deployed to Southwest Asia while Senior Airman Dennis Kidwell fields a call from his maintenance supervisor. On average, it takes close to two years for these technicians to become 100 percent qualified to perform the 146 core tasks that are needed to maintain the planes sophisticated intelligence gathering hardware. The three are electronic warfare specialists. Airmen Grabowski and Oliver are from the 97th Intelligence Squadron from Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. Airman Kidwell is deployed from the 488th Intelligence Squadron, Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Scott Wagers)
An F-16 Fighting Falcon from Balad Air Base, Iraq, takes fuel from a KC-10 Extender over Iraq Nov. 20. The KC-10 refueled two jets that afternoon in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The KC-10 aircrew is deployed in support of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Justin T. Watson)