“We will search as much as the crew duty day, gas and conditions allow us until we find our brother in arms.”-Lieutenant Colonel Chad Senior, 920th Deputy Group Commander/Combat Rescue Officer
The U.S. Air Force reports that a Special Tactics Airman (24th Special Ops Wing) went missing while taking part in static line jump training over the Gulf of Mexico.
Video, 39th Rescue Squadron preps HC-130N Combat King for search mission, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, 06NOV2019:
Since 05NOV2019, crews onboard a HC-130N Combat King and HH-60G Black Hawks are searching for the Airman. USAF-Reserve, U.S. Army, Coast Guard, Florida Fish & Wildlife and even local Sheriff’s units are helping with the search.
Official USAF announcements stated the Airman made an “unintentional water landing”. At this time the USAF is not reporting any details about the incident.
Video, 301st Rescue Squadron HH-60G taxis for search flight, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, 06NOV2019:
27 October 2019 (13:09 UTC-07 Tango 06) 05 Aban 1398/27 Safar 1441/29 Jia-Xu 4717
Real short thermal image video of 27OCT2019 X-37B landing:
“The sky is no longer the limit for the Air Force and, if Congress approves, the U.S. Space Force.”-General David L. Goldfein, U.S. Air Force
After two years in orbit, the space drone X-37B returned to Earth, setting a record: “The X-37B continues to demonstrate the importance of a reusable spaceplane. Each successive mission advances our nation’s space capabilities.”-Barbara Barrett, Secretary of the Air Force
Photo via Space Launch Delta 45.
At 03:15 Eastern U.S. Time, 27OCT2019, the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) landed at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, completing 780 days in orbit during its fifth test mission: “This program continues to push the envelope as the world’s only reusable space vehicle. With a successful landing today, the X-37B completed its longest flight to date and successfully completed all mission objectives. This mission successfully hosted Air Force Research Laboratory experiments, among others, as well as providing a ride for small satellites.”-Randy Walden, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office
You should keep in mind how significant the 780 days in orbit are, as the Boeing X-37B was originally designed for only 270 day-orbits.
The X-37B OTV is placed inside a pod for launching, 31AUG2017. Photo via Boeing.
X-37B Mission-5 launched on 07SEP2017 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on-board a Space X Falcon 9 booster (Air Force Awards Launch Services Contracts to SpaceX). Mission-6 will launch sometime in 2020.
Launch pod carrying X-37B is towed to the Space-X rocket, which can be seen waiting in the background, 05SEP2017. Photo via Boeing.
2017 official video explainer of the X-37B:
U.S. Air Force photo, 07MAY2017.
Video of X-37B Mission-4 landing, 07MAY2017, Kennedy Space Center. Watch as it roles past a Space Shuttle ‘gate guard’:
USAF photo, 07MAY2017.
What’s it like to have the X-37B fly over your head? Watch the video:
Before the use of a SpaceX rocket, the X-37B was launched by the old Atlas-5. Video, March 2015, Atlas-5 rocket launches AFSPC-5 satellite carrying X-37B from Cape Canaveral:
Video, 2012 Pentagon Report reveals unmanned space plane was taken over by DARPA from NASA:
The X-37B OTV being placed inside the launch capsule/pod, 31MAR2010. USAF photo.
In Northern Territory, the Australian military, along with U.S. Marines, trained for operation Crocodile Response, a bilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise in order to more rapidly respond to natural disasters and crises throughout the region.
South Korea Ministry of Environment’ K-water operations, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, work with NASA to develop satellite technology in the hopes of preventing future water disasters.
U.S. personnel from Osan Air Base respond to the aftermath of Typhoon Lingling, 07SEP2019.
UNITED STATES: FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) hints that its running out of money by telling people to save money to help pay for disaster expenses!
USMC video promoting 30SEP2019 deployment to Colombia, bragging about spending U.S. taxes to help the South American country prep for a major natural disaster:
Yet again, U.S. taxes going to send U.S. Marines to Central American countries for yet more natural disaster preps (in October):
Idaho; Idaho State University, working with Idaho National Laboratory and Center for Advanced Energy Studies, gets $1.1-million taxpayer funded grant to build first ever Disaster Response Complex. The goal is to train emergency responders in a realistic catastrophic environment with multiple scenarios such as earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, and even terrorist threats.
Health professionals representing 20 countries gathered for the 22nd annual Health Emergencies in Large Populations (H.E.L.P.) course in Honolulu, from September 9th-20th. It was hosted by Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM) in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the University of Hawai’i Office of Public Health Studies. The main goal is to create a common language, and procedures, between civilian and military emergency responders around the world.
Even though Mongolia is not a Pacific Rim country, the U.S. decided to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief ‘Pacific Resilience’ training in the Central Asian country, and ordered Oregon’s Army National Guard to participate.
“The normal infrastructure was completely down and therefore our team came in to do our quick assessment. The Bundeswehr came out and they’re getting assessed on what they do on their medical side.”-Specialist Christopher Wise, U.S. Army Europe
On 14SEP2019 Wackernheim, Germany, was rocked by a 6.2 earthquake. U.S. and German Soldiers rescued casualties from the debris, evacuated them to a medical treatment area and rendered first aid.
Just kidding! It was part of NATO war game Cobra Strike 19. Here’s the boring official video explainer:
Here’s a slightly better video explainer:
Earthquakes are rare in Germany, but every now and then they have a big one. Seismicity in Germany
Idaho National Guard’s 124th Fighter Wing has been real busy this summer.
Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Mercedee Wilds, 19AUG2019.
19AUG2019, the ‘hawgs’ shot-up the Orchard Combat Training Center (back when I was ‘in’ it was called the Orchard Training Area) south of Boise.
Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Mercedee Wilds, 19AUG2019.
Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Mercedee Wilds, 19AUG2019.
Idaho Air National Guard photo by Senior Airman Mercedee Wilds, 19AUG2019.
Idaho Air National Guard photo by Ryan White, 19AUG2019.
Idaho Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Becky Vanshur, 19AUG2019.
Idaho’s Governor Brad Little arrived by Black Hawk and got strafed, just kidding:
Idaho Air National Guard photo by Master Sergeant Becky Vanshur, 19AUG2019.
Idaho’s 124th Maintenance Group builds Mark 82s for Idaho’s 190th Fighter Squadron’s A-10C Thunderbolt-2s, during wargame Green Flag West-19-8, on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, in June 2019. I edited together videos via Idaho Air National Guard’s Joshua Allmaras:
04JUN2019 Idaho A-10Cs during Green Flag West, Nevada, take-off and bombing:
08JUN2019, Idaho A-10Cs flying through Nevada mountains:
June 2019, Idaho A-10Cs on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, flightline prep, taxi & take-off, return sans bombs:
09JUN2019, Idaho A-10Cs landing on dirt, Fort Irwin-NTC, California:
At the end of August 2019, the 355th Equipment Maintenance Squadron, at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, began repainting an A-10 Thunderbolt-2. They claim it’s going to look like a World War-2 P-51 Mustang!
It’s part of preparations for the USAF 2020 air show season.
But wait, this isn’t the first A-10 to be painted like a P-51. In 2013 the Michigan National Guard got one painted to represent a P-51(F-6A) of the 107th TRS Red Devils during the invasion of Normandy.
Can you find the P-51(F-6A) painted A-10?
Video from October 2018:
Have they painted any Thunderbolt-2s to look like their namesake, the P-47 Thunderbolt?
In 1981, Monogram Models Incorporated issued their fine 1:48 scale B-25J Mitchell kit, with markings for the original Panchito (which has a different tail code than today’s Panchito). Unfortunately Monogram didn’t include any historical info about the plane (except for a small blurb on the side of the box-top).
U.S. Air Force photo by Roland Balik, 27AUG2017.
27AUG2017, Dover AFB air show, Delaware.
U.S. Air Force photo by R.J. Oriez, 17APR2017.
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 17APR2017.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Valentina Lopez, 21SEP2016.
Manassas Regional Airport, Virginia, 21SEP2016
New Jersey Air National Guard photo by Technical Sergeant Matt Hecht, 14MAY2016.
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, 14MAY2016.
U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Mackenzie Gibson, 29APR2016.
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, 29APR2016.
Kentucky Air National Guard photo by Lieutenant Colonel Dale Greer, 22APR2017.
Typhoon Hagibis: 
In Northern Territory, the Australian military, along with U.S. Marines, trained for operation Crocodile Response, a bilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise in order to more rapidly respond to natural disasters and crises throughout the region.
The Japanese military held Remote Island Disaster Exercise training at Yaeyama Islands, 01SEP2019.
South Korea Ministry of Environment’ K-water operations, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, work with NASA to develop satellite technology in the hopes of preventing future water disasters.
U.S. personnel from Osan Air Base respond to the aftermath of Typhoon Lingling, 07SEP2019.
FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) hints that its running out of money by telling people to save money to help pay for disaster expenses!
Health professionals representing 20 countries gathered for the 22nd annual Health Emergencies in Large Populations (H.E.L.P.) course in Honolulu, from September 9th-20th. It was hosted by Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM) in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the University of Hawai’i Office of Public Health Studies. The main goal is to create a common language, and procedures, between civilian and military emergency responders around the world.
Even though Mongolia is not a Pacific Rim country, the U.S. decided to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster relief ‘Pacific Resilience’ training in the Central Asian country, and ordered Oregon’s Army National Guard to participate.
Can you find the P-51(F-6A) painted A-10?
