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    ~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...

U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber sitting on the flight line at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, USA. Via http://ChamorroBible.org/gpw/gpw-200905.htm (medium, large) The Photographer  Staff Sgt. Eric T. Sheler, United States Air Force  

Citing budget uncertainties and the threat of sequestration, Joint Base Langley announced Friday it is canceling the Langley air show, which was set for May 3-5. A spokeswoman for Oceana Naval Air Station said it may cancel its show as well. "The Air Force has to consider the fiscal challenges affecting the Department of Defense and the nation," Col. Korvin Auch, 633rd Air Base Wing commander, said in a statement announcing the cancellation. "We're taking prudent steps now in order to be good stewards of taxpayer resources while focusing on maintaining readiness."

Heralding a splash of good news on jobs, President Barack Obama on Wednesday praised a series of companies that have promised to hire 25,000 veterans or military spouses within two years, calling it a sign of patriotism and business savvy. He pushed his economic agenda anew to a military audience, this time with first lady Michelle Obama at his side. "We ask you to fight, to sacrifice, to risk your lives for your country," Obama told an audience of thousands of people at Joint Base Langley-Eustis. "The last thing you should have to do is fight for a job when...

President Barack Obama will highlight portions of his jobs plan that encourage the hiring of unemployed veterans when he visits Langley Air Force Base in Hampton Wednesday during the final leg of his three-day bus tour through Virginia and North Carolina. White House officials said Sunday that during the president's tour of two key Southern states in his reelection bid, he will call on Congress to start passing parts of his American Jobs Act this week starting with provisions which create jobs for teachers, police officers, fire fighters and veterans. "He'll discuss the importance of job creation and putting our...

For 34 years, Peninsula residents could look skyward and spot the familiar silhouette of the F-15C Eagle. Enemy pilots never found the sight as comforting. The fighter has compiled a combat record of 104 victories against zero losses. Now an era is coming to end — two eras, really. The 71st Fighter Squadron at Langley is being inactivated, a move that was announced in June 2009 as part of a service-wide restructuring. And because the 71st flies the F-15, those jets are being parceled out to other Air Force and Air National Guard units. The last F-15 will leave Hampton...

Did you ever think the day would come when an Eagle would not be the most familiar sight in the Langley sky? Sadly, in the months to come, the very sight of an Eagle soaring across the Langley sky will soon become an uncommon phenomenon. Moreover, after a 34-year proud heritage, it is time for "the changing the guard" at Langley Air Force Base. The mighty F-15 Eagle will step aside and allow the "new kid on the block," the F-22 Raptor, to don the crown and set in motion a storyline that will someday solidify its own place in...

The U.S. Air Force is scheduled to deploy F-22A Raptors to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and Kadena Air Base, Japan, in late May for approximately four months. Twelve F-22As will deploy from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., to Andersen AFB and another 12 will deploy from Holloman AFB, N.M., to Kadena AB. Approximately 250 Airmen will accompany the Raptors to each location. The F-22A is a transformational combat aircraft that can avoid enemy detection, cruises at supersonic speeds, is highly maneuverable, and provides the joint forces an unprecedented level of integrated situational awareness. As part of continuing force posture adjustments...

With the size of the F-22 stealth fighter force capped, U.S. Air Force officials are going to muscle up the service’s air dominance force via Air National Guard F-15C Golden Eagles upgraded with advanced, long-range radars. Because of the larger size of the Boeing F-15s’ radar and the aircraft’s greater flight endurance, they also will serve as “stand-in” electronic warfare jamming and attack aircraft as part of the Air Force’s composite air dominance force that also includes stealthy Lockheed Martin F-22s stationed at Langley AFB, Va. Each fighter type will shoulder 50% of the air dominance mission now that the...

KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — F-22 Raptors from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia were scheduled to arrive Saturday at Kadena, according to the Air Force. The supersonic fighters are part of two squadrons the Air Force has deployed for four months in support security throughout the Western Pacific region, a news release said. About 12 Raptors from the 94th Fighter Squadron will train on Okinawa, the release said. Another dozen Raptors from the 525th Squadron at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska deployed to Guam on May 13, the release said. While training on Okinawa, the Raptors will observe...

1/10/2009 - KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- Six F-22 Raptors arrived at Kadena Air Base today as part of a three-month deployment in support of U.S. Pacific Command's security obligations in the Western Pacific. The planes landed around 4 p.m. under partly cloudy skies after a 10-hour flight from Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii. The F-22s, part of the 27th Fighter Squadron, are deployed from Langley Air Force Base, Va. This is the second deployment of Langley-based Raptors to Kadena; the first occurred in February 2007. About 250 maintenance and combat support personnel arrived here earlier in the week in...

    ~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...