Free Republic

The last A-10A model of the Thunderbolt II aircraft assigned here departed the base Dec. 4, marking the 25th Fighter Squadron's successful transition to the A-10C model. The new model features improved precision strike capability and enhances the Air Force's ability to provide lethal and precise close-air support, said Maj. Andrew Taylor, from the 51st Operations Group. The first five A-10Cs arrived here in spring 2010, beginning the transition to the new model. The final A-10A aircraft is being transferred for modification and reassignment to the Air National Guard. "The upgrade to the C-model is unlike any other in the...

The Air Force stands ready to respond if hostilities between North Korea and South Korea escalate, the service's top uniformed officer said, but American fighter jets remained at their normal alert status a day after a North Korean artillery attack. The North fired artillery shells at the island of Yeonpyeong on Tuesday, killing two people and dramatically raising tensions between American-allied South Korea and the nuclear-armed north. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, in a meeting with reporters later that morning, said his service has plenty of firepower in the region and listed the bases from which the...

Typhoon Ewiniar forecast to hit South Korea on Monday By Dave Ornauer, Stars and Stripes Pacific edition, Sunday, July 9, 2006 CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Like a slow-moving predator, Typhoon Ewiniar continued tracking further northwest on Friday and appeared as if it would spare U.S. bases in southwestern Japan much of its bite. But the fourth storm of the northwest Pacific’s typhoon season remained a threat to Okinawa and put another target squarely in its crosshairs: the Korean peninsula. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast Ewiniar would graze Okinawa to its west late Saturday, then make landfall along Korea’s west...

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: President and Mrs. Bush, as well as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and others in the American delegation, continue their trip to Asian nations. Before leaving for Bejing, China, they visited Osan Air Base, Osan, Republic of Korea, where the President spoke to a huge crowd of troops and other American personnel. "Laura and I are so honored to be here," the President said. "We thought we'd stop by and feel the thunder and the fury of the Mustangs. Thanks for greeting us. It's a privilege to stand with the brave men and women of...