Free Republic

The event occurred on March 5th, 2019 at around 19:20 UTC, which equates to roughly 12:20pm local time. Over a swath of sky beginning to the west of Cannon Air Force Base, the plume first appears, covering roughly 30 miles over a couple hours time. Cannon AFB is used by Air Force Special Operations Command and is home the 27th Special Operations Wing and its MC-130s, AC-130s, CV-22s, MQ-9s, U-28s, C-146s and other propeller-driven aircraft, some of which could have deployed the chaff from their expendable countermeasures systems.

12/21/2009 - CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFNS) -- Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, but at the 27th Special Operations Wing here he is not the jolly fat man dressed in red. All one shopper at the base exchange knows is that someone who retired from the military made her family holidays a lot brighter. Charlotte Riojas said she was patiently waiting at the BX checkout line with a cartful of presents for her children. Their move from Hurlburt Field in Florida had, like virtually everybody else who makes a permanent change of station, been stressful. She, her...

More than 60 years of flying and fighting history closed May 23 as the 523rd Fighter Squadron, also known as the Crusaders, inactivated during ceremonies at The Landing. The ceremony, begun precisely at 5:23 p.m., also honored and remembered the service and dedication of all Crusader Airmen who served with the unit. "This is another watershed day in the history of the 523rd FS," said Colonel Jeff McDaniels, 27th Operations Group commander. "There's a sense of saying goodbye to an old friend." The 523rd FS's guidon passed from Lt. Col. Brad Kearney, 523rd FS commander, to Colonel McDaniels one final...

Cannon Air Force Base, threatened with closure after its three F-16 fighter squadrons were ordered elsewhere, will become a special operations base, the Pentagon announced today. The base will become the Air Force's 16th Special Operations Wing within the next two years, Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said. ''It will change rather dramatically in character,'' he said. The base will have several different kinds of airplanes and more of them, Domenici and Gov. Bill Richardson said. ''It means the new focus of the special operations wing is the war on terrorism,'' Richardson said. ''The best news is that it looks like...

BRAC commission just voted to keep Cannon AFB open until December 31, 2009, but with no mission. Existing fighter wings will be transfered as proposed by DOD. If the AF/DOD does not find a mission by that time, it will be closed. Vote was 6-1-2 recusals. Links coming up