Four F-16 Fighting Falcons and more than 100 airmen from the South Dakota Air National Guard’s 114th Fighter Wing deployed to Lask AB, Poland, on Sep. 3 in support of Aviation Detachment 16-4, a bilateral training exercise between the two countries, according to a press release. Because Polish air force pilots have a decade of experience flying F-16s, the exercise will include a wide range of scenarios. “We’re going to be doing a whole mix of what the F-16 does. Air-to-air, advanced air-to-air, air-to-ground, and then we’ll get into some close air support,” said Lt. Col. Quenten Esser, 114th Operations Group commander. “The No. 1 goal is to assure our allies in Europe. To show up, have a presence, do a little bit of training, and build partner capacity.” The deployment also included a visit with Polish cadets who are completing masters-level studies in engineering.
Back from a Thanksgiving week recess, the push to pass the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act hit another snag Nov. 29, as the Senate voted against ending debate on its version of the bill. At the same time, Congress is staring down a Dec. 3 expiration date for its continuing…