Air Force F-16 mechanics deployed to Southwest Asia still must perform phase inspections for their Vipers—a four to five day process every 400 flight hours. And, the rate of sorties flown means the inspection time rolls around just that much faster—about every 120 days compared to once a year in the states, reports SrA. Candace Romano. “We literally de-panel and inspect the entire jet,” fixing anything that needs repair or maintenance, says TSgt. Ethan Thomas, a phase dock chief deployed to Balad AB, Iraq, from Misawa AB, Japan.
Brown on Capitol Riot: ‘I Struggled on That Day’
Jan. 25, 2021
On Jan. 6, as a throng of supporters of former President Donald J. Trump and right-wing extremists mobbed the U.S. Capitol, the Air Force Chief of Staff couldn’t tear himself away from the television. Brown, teleworking away from the Pentagon, said he watched in shock and disbelief as events unfolded…