The Oregon Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing will represent US Air Forces in Europe next month during an air-to-air exercise with the Bulgarian Air Force. US Embassy officials in Sofia, Bulgaria, say the exercise will help foster shared tactics, techniques, and procedures among NATO allies. Bulgaria is a new addition to NATO, and, according to the Associated Press news service, has agreed to host US troops at four military facilities in the country as part of a 10-year plan.
U.S. C-17s have now flown 104 loads of materiel out of Afghanistan as the retrograde continues, and U.S. Central Command plans to destroy more than 1,800 pieces of equipment. Between six and 12 percent of the entire retrograde process is complete since, CENTCOM said in a May 11 statement.