The Air Force has selected Holloman AFB, N.M. and Hickam AFB, Hawaii, to become homes to the new F-22A stealth fighter. The New Mexico Congressional delegation had been pressing for a new mission since USAF announced plans to advance the retirement of Holloman’s F-117s. They wanted the F-22A; they got it. Still to come, of course, are the required environmental assessments, but both facilities operate fighters now. Currently, the only operational F-22 base is Langley AFB, Va. USAF also plans to station Raptors at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska.
The withdrawal of about 700 U.S. forces from Somalia required a massive nocturnal airlift, movement of fighters and tankers from the Middle East, and other overwatch from drones and other special operations aircraft, all planned and executed within weeks. The mission, called Operation Octave Quartz, came after former President Donald…